You and I Collide
by Wendish
Summary: Yet another take on what happens the night that VNM is killed. Follow this interpretation of that night and what ensues, leading up to the plunge.
1. Chapter 1: Awaaaaaaaaay

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings. _

* * *

"Awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!" Angela scowled at her husband.

Hodgins turned to Brennan, whose expression gave away nothing but a little fear for Hodgins if he did not heed his wife's imperative. Fear, and maybe the look of a schoolgirl caught by her teacher – no, Father, definitely her father - sharing a confidence with her BFF.

How abruptly his excitement about his find had been quashed by his wife. This find would definitely help Booth narrow down the search for Brodsky, and what the fuck could possibly be more important than information to help catch Vincent? Knowing that everyone assumed that anything that came out of his mouth was self-indulgent science, Hodgins' mind raced for the quickest way to plead his case to his wife. But, then he considered the pregnancy hormones, and his desire to be able to sire other children. If_ Dr. Brennan_ had an empathetic look of fear, perhaps he should back down from this interaction. Without another word, off he stormed in search of a more level-headed audience. "Cam. Cam always listens." he grumbled.

Angela subconsciously rubbed her belly, as if to reassure the baby that she would not yet kill his father -_ yet._ She took a deep breath, refocusing her attention on Brennan. She raised her eyebrows at Brennan. "Sweetie…."

Brennan nervously shifted her weight from one leg to the other as she looked at Angela. She knew that she had to quickly correct the conclusions that the curl of her lip may have allowed Angela's imagination to draw. "We didn't have sex, Ange. Booth needed his rest, he has to kill Brodsky today." She stated matter of factly. Angela frowned at her friend.

"But it w-, it was nice. Booth was _very_ comforting. I was very distressed. I was not demonstrating control of my emotions, so he held me until I fell asleep. And, I find that I really enjoyed waking up in his arms this morning. I –", she hesitated and then sighed deeply. "I-, we...we exchanged affirmations of love". Brennan looked down, trying to hide the grin that this confession could not restrain. She attempted to reset her face as she looked back up to Angela for her reaction.

While Angela was initially prepared to fire into a diatribe about her best friend not taking advantage of the situation, the reverse direction of Brennan's last sentence caused her legs to buckle. A broad smile slowly covered her face as she grabbed for the stool nearby to sit. Evidently, the baby was as taken by the declaration as was she that she covered her belly this time with both hands, acknowledging the kick that Little Hodgins gave. "Whoa" she laughed.

"Horse." Brennan defaulted, causing a confused expression to interrupt Angela's obvious glee. Brennan shook her head indicating to Angela to ignore her response. She moved closer to Angela in case she needed assistance. "Are you OK, Ange? Is it the baby?"

Angela shook her head no. "Sweetie. This is _**huge**. _I'm _so_ happy for you both." Angela held out her hands for Brennan to take. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Brennan took Angela's hands. She looked down at Angela's wedding ring. Instead of first noticing the swelling that pregnancy had caused, and subsequently remarking caution for Angela to consider wearing the ring on a necklace – she instead pondered the symbolism of the ring. Brennan rubbed her thumb over the ring and mused, "it is believed that Ancient Egyptians would shape sections of plants into circles to symbolize an immortal union. Wedding rings were placed on the fourth finger of the left hand because it was believed that this finger had a love vein."

Angela chuckled. "Well I bet that Jack and Studly have a completely different opinion of which body part is the love vein." A look of disappointment replaced her smirk realizing that her bestie was in _evade mode_. She searched Brennan's eyes. "I take it that this redirect means that you're not going to share the juicier bits of your morning with me." She paused as Brennan's expression affirmed her assumption. She sighed and then asked "Honey, can you at least tell me that you're happy about this?"

Brennan stared at Angela as she gathered her thoughts. Her ability to emote _had_ improved through her friendships with Angela and Booth and even Sweets. Still, Angela's suggestion of the adjective 'happy' was confusing. She started "I don't think 'happy' is the word that I'm feeling. I'm pleased to explore a more affectionate side to our partnership, but I'm experiencing emotions that are unfamiliar to me, which makes me uneasy." she fidgeted. "I am stalled in my evaluation of Leishenger because I'm distracted by thoughts of Booth...and me." her cheeks and neck flushed at the disclosure. "And I should be focused on helping find Brodsky."she said quickly.

Angela saw her opportunity. "You know Honey, it may be helpful to talk about it. Once you have cleared your thoughts, maybe you can focus on examining Leishenger."

Brennan's face lit up. "That makes sense, Ange! Well, not about the clearing of thoughts as that is not possible, but I'm always ready to return to productive endeavors wasting an hour in a session with Sweets!" she exclaimed.

Angela rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. She raised her eyebrows to cue Brennan to proceed.

"Evidence suggests, that when I love people, they leave me. My parents. Russ. Sully. Zach and now Vincent." She peered at Angela, secretly hopeful that she would poke fissures in her statement.

"That's not true, Bren. You love me and Jack, and you will love this little mad scientist I'm carrying...and _none_ of us will ever leave you. And, your Dad and Russ _came back, _ and you know that your mother would have if she could." Angela stood to look Brennan eye-to-eye. "You may not have quantifiable evidence Honey, but both your Mom and even Vincent adored you when they passed. Zach still loves you, he's not gone, he's just not_ here;_ and, I know you can disagree with me all you want, but you may have cared about Sully, but _he was just a guy_. Booth will be in your life until his last breath."

The women were silent for a moment - Angela to catch the breath that 8 1/2 months of pregnancy had limited, and Brennan to gather her thoughts.

"I suppose your argument has some merit. With Booth, I never expected our – _partnership_ - to be as professionally successful as it is. I believed, that our collaborations on cases would serve as a serendipitous means for me to broaden my experiences as a forensic anthropologist. I never expected that we'd know each other seven years later, having been partners for six of those years and counting. I never expected to feel the way he has continued to make me feel. I have found, that I'm willing to make irrational sacrifices for Booth that I would never consider for anyone else."

"Like what, Sweetie?"

Brennan searched for a response, not wanting to breach Booth's confidences as she had done in the past. Her mind settled on one example that she deemed safe. She started, chuckling "while it is only tangential to my point, I'm certain that my capacity to tolerate Ms. Wick during our trip to Maluku is directly related to having someone with whom to talk about Booth."

The two friends shared a snicker, then Brennan continued softly,"While I don't foresee circumstances where the situation would arise, I am fearful of what logic suggests."

Angela nodded. She understood Temperance Brennan far better than Temperance did herself, and two truths that she knew well were that 1) Brennan had always been in love with Seeley Booth and that 2) her best friend was terrified that Booth would leave her like everyone else. She also knew that Fate continued to throw the couple together with as much clamor as equally as both (at times) seemed to will themselves apart.

"It's called cognitive dissonance, Sweetie. Having two opposing ideas at the same time. _You think by loving him, you'll lose him, but you can't refrain from loving him because you can't bear to be without him._ Well, let me tell you this clearly: He. Ain't. Going. Nowhere, Sister! That man **_loves_ **you! He endured a whole year of rejection trying to win you back as a partner, and he didn't stop until you agreed to work with him again on the Eller case. He's risked his life for you - more than once. He helped you reconcile with your Dad and Russ. He _gave you sperm_ because you wanted a baby. He sacrificed his feelings for you to keep working with you after you rejected him. He put himself in a war zone to keep himself occupied while you were in Maluku because he didn't want to work without you."

"But he came back dating Hannah." Brennan returned sharply.

"Heh, yeah! _Because you _had rejected him, and he knew you'd be more likely to continue your partnership only if the romantic tension between the two of you was taken off the table. And, you can't tell me that it's a coincidence that he started sabotaging his relationship with Hannah once he knew that you had a change of heart? Whether he was conscious of it or not, **_he did_**. The day you threw him that bone was the day that couple was _**over**_."

Angela waited for Brennan to challenge her purposely inflammatory examples. Brennan wrinkled her nose, deciding to ignore most of Angela's charge. "I'm certain that the only bone that I've thrown at Booth was the ilium of William Chang, and I was seeing Sully at the time."_  
_

Angela laughed and rolled her eyes.

"I'm worried that I'll fail at the emotional aspects of our relationship, Ange."

"Booth is a big boy, a big, hunky, sexy boy, and he can take care of himself. And a part of taking care of himself is _getting you._ Booth's had seven years the learn about all your messy bits, and he's still crazy about you." she took Brennan's hands again in her own. "If you're ever struggling, turn to your friends. Talk to me and Cam. We'll help you."

"Thank you, Angela." Brennan mused, "Cam has had a lot of sex with Booth. I'm sure she will have very helpful insights."

Angela smirked at Brennan's reasoning. "I mean about the emotional stuff, Honey. I know you, and Cam's Booth's oldest friend. Between the two of us, we can talk things through with you, to help you get perspective."

"Booth doesn't like it when I talk about us. He believes what goes on between us is ours." Brennan stated definitively.

"There are some gray areas, Sweetie, trust me. Booth will understand some things require girl talk, like what we're doing now." Angela smiled warmly at her friend. From Max, she knew that Brennan had never been diagnosed with a mild form of Asperger's Syndrome, but like the condition, Brennan was all "ones and zeros". She demonstrated difficulty reading social cues and was sometimes perceived as being cold, rude and distant. But those who looked beyond the hyperlogical doctor and invested time in getting to know - even if not to understand - Temperance Brennan - found her to be very loyal and loving, in her own way. And those who stuck around discovered that the emotions she was challenged to verbalize, she had no difficulty scribing them.

"But if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine too. You do a good job working through your feelings on paper."

Brennan's face knotted with confusion as Angela explained, "Bren, have you never noticed that whenever some major happens between you and Booth, that you write? You work through your feelings by writing." Angela brushed Brennan's bangs out of her eyes. "Think about it Sweetie – you wrote your first book after the Gemma Arrington case, your first case with Booth; then another after Booth saved you from that creep Kenton; when you **_chose _**to let Sully go; Booth taking care of you during your Dad's trial; when Booth got shot. The story you wrote when he was in his coma; when he told you he wanted to give you guys a shot…."

Brennan had had enough. "OK, Ange, I get it."

Angela smirked. "I haven't even got to the whole Maluku/Afghanistan/Hannah mishegas…." Brennan smiled sadly at the Hannah reference. Angela pulled Brennan's hands to refocus her. "Through it all Sweetie, he has loved you – always and the most."

"I believe this to be accurate" she agreed. "And, I feel that I have enough evidence now to confidently interpret my feelings for him as being 'in love'." Angela beamed at her friend's confession while Brennan continued.

"And, if he is not killed by Brodsky, then I will make every effort to circumvent my fear of abandonment to pursue a romantic relationship with Booth." Angela winced, but shook her head for her friend to continue.

Brennan defended her bluntness. "The bullet that killed Vincent was meant for Booth. I owe it to Booth _and_ Vincent to make an effort. I was unable to sleep last night thinking about how I waited until he was bleeding out at my feet to tell him what I thought of him. I don't even know if he was able to comprehend what I was saying." Angela squeezed her hands. "And, my unrest was further amplified, thinking about when Brodsky learns that he did not succeed in getting Booth…."

Her agitation spiked as she pulled away from Angela, walking toward, what she did not know.

"We've been trying to, get closer, Booth and I. We've discussed trying to be together, but we hadn't, yet, accomplished anything substantive. While I had not intended on revealing the evolution of my affections, this morning I became overwhelmed with the fear of us running out of time. I couldn't lose him without him knowing. I want him to come back to me, to us. That's why I told him that I loved him." She punctuated her statement with a resolute nod.

Angela grinned. "Kind of like the maiden sending her knight off to battle with promises of the spoils upon his return." She knew that Brennan would not like that analogy, and she didn't' care in the least. "Pah-lease tell me that you at least let him sample some of the goods before sending him away this morning."

It took Brennan a few seconds to catch up with the meaning of Angela's metaphor. When she did, she returned Angela's grin with a smirk of her own. "Well…" she started...


	2. Chapter 2: 4:47 AM

_Created April 2013 - __I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings. _

* * *

_BOOTH's POV_

"Can I just…?" she pleaded as she leaned into me for comforting.

"Yeah, that's why I'm here." I whispered softly to my partner. I eased us both back onto the bed. I could feel Bones shake as her tears consumed her. I felt my heart squeeze with every tear, shudder and hiccup that Bones emitted.

We had lost one of our own, I couldn't call my son or Pops until we finished this case. I was exhausted and on edge about Brodsky, worried about the entire squint squad, but right now, at this moment, nothing mattered but Bones. It scared me how much I loved this beautiful, brilliant, awkward woman, and she was in pain.

As I held my partner in my arms, my emotions were like popcorn kernels right before the first pop. She curled closer into me as if she was trying to share my skin. Jesus, all of the emotions that this situation had conjured up; if Bones wasn't bawling into my chest right now, I'd be losing it as equally as she was. But Bones needed me. Nobody else can be this for her but me. She is my partner, she's my best friend. She's The One…not only The One Who Has My Heart, but The One I Failed.

I will do EVERYTHING to make this right. Me being with Hannah hurt her and I wasn't who she needed me – deserved me to be – I'm not going to fuck this up. She's in pain because a prick from _my past_ tried to take me from her but instead took out Vincent – a kid. A quirky, creepy, funny kid, but a good kid. An innocent. Christ, that cocksucker could have hit my girl. There is no fucking way I'm not killing this son of a bitch the first instance that I can. My heart's beating a thousand miles a minute thinking about Brodsky. Brodsky. It's not about him or me right now. She needs me.

"I've got you Bones. I've got you. It's alright. Go ahead and let it out. I'm not letting you go. That's my girl. I've got you, Baby". I peppered these comments as I hugged her into me. Her face lay on my chest as she struggled with her emotions.

I rubbed my right hand up and down her back to soothe her crying. When I called her "Baby", she seemed to still. She didn't recoil, thank God, but instead seemed to calm down. Her breathing began to match my own. I tempted fate again.

"Baby, I'm going to make this right. I'll take care of you…." She snuggled in closer to me. I took a deep breath and squeezed her back. Oh, this woman belongs with me. If this is the only time that I'll ever get to hold her, I'm going to make it count. I kissed her forehead, then into her hair. She smelled amazing – _vanilla_. I could hold her forever. "We're going to handle this bastard tomorrow Bones, but for now, I'm just gonna hold you, Bones. Let me take care of you."

I felt her nod her agreement into my chest, but as I bent to kiss her forehead again, she was gone from my arms. Bones was sitting up in my bed, her hands on my chest, but seemingly ready to bolt.

Pop, pop, pop went my kernels.

She was pulling away and I wasn't sure that I was ready to _not_ keep it together. I couldn't let her go. "No, Bones. Stay with me. Don't go. Let me hold you. Please" I hadn't pleaded with her so desperately since trying to protect her from herself in New Orleans.

The side table lamp was still on in the room. She had crinkled her face in confusion and then like quicksilver, caught up to my assumption. "No, Booth…I'm a warm sleeper. If I'm laying here with you, I have to remove this sweatshirt." I smiled weakly at her and apologized for my neediness. She drew her right hand up my chest to my cheek, but said nothing.

God I loved this woman. Pop, pop, pop.

Swiftly she leaned back and pulled at the ends of the sweatshirt to remove it. As she did, her camisole-thingy pulled up slightly, peeking to me her taught little belly button. My eyes continued up the reveal of Bones' body, and I grinned as I watched the sweatshirt vacuum her head and hair before its final removal.

So. Fucking. Beautiful. She had been my partner for almost seven years, but her form always caught my breath, as if I was seeing her for the first time. Every curve she had was – perfect. Bones threw the sweatshirt onto the edge of the bed. By the glow of the nightlight, I feasted my attention on her creamy white skin and the cling of the delicate camisole to her torso. Pop, pop, pop.

She looked blankly at me, but like always it was if she was staring through to my soul. I needed to touch her. I reached out to examine a scar on her left arm. Immediately, I realized that the scar was from the teeth shrapnel in the bomb that Gormogon tossed at us. Gormogon. Zach. Zach. Vincent. I locked eyes with Bones, fearful that the connection would trigger a new round of tears. I was right. Her eyes began to well up. "Oh Baby, no I'm sorry to remind you about Zach."

"Causality, Booth. If I had paid more attention to Zach, then I wouldn't have needed a rotation of interns. If Zach were still at the Jeffersonian, then Vincent might still be alive."

I took a breath. No way was I going to let her blame herself "None of us would have had to deal with Gormogon if I hadn't pursued you to be my partner. Brodsky wouldn't have had the Jeffersonian as a target if you did work with me." I was trying to get her to blame me. If she needed to rage against me to feel better, I was going to let her.

As intended, my comment was like a smack across her face. She grabbed at my shirt as if to regain her balance. God forgive me, even with red, puffy eyes and a tear and snot stained face – she was the most gorgeous creature ever. The pain her lovely face was expressing was killing me. I waited for her to yell or scream or, something. To my surprise, I watched her eyes dilate as she leaned down and pressed her lips furiously against mine.

Pop, pop, pop. I was a full bowl.

I moaned against her sweet lips as we settled into a desperate kiss. I felt the warmth and saltiness of her new tears mix between our tongues. Her breath was stunted between her crying hiccups and her words. "I can't imagine not having you in my life, Booth."

"Oh Bones. I'm not going anywhere, Baby" I whispered against her lips. I cupped the back of her neck as I fought to gain control of our kiss to slow her down. "Shhhh, slow down, I'm here, okay? I'm not going anywhere." She buried her head in my neck, sobbing. We laid there for a few minutes as she stilled. I felt her take a deep breath against my neck and then she began to pull my shirt off.

"Uh, wha-, what are you doing, Bones?" I stammered, halting her action at my underarms. I looked up at her, shocked while she looked down on me impatiently.

"I have secreted copious amounts of mucus and lacrimal gland fluid onto your shirt, Booth. As I want to sleep…as we just were…I'd rather not sleep in a wet spot."

I chuckled. "Remind me to explain to you why that's funny once we've had more rest, Bones." She crinkled her adorable nose at me and turned to shut off the light.

To her satisfaction, I allowed her to proceed with actions, and let her continue to pull my shirt off me. Her palms pushed the shirt up my chest and back. I felt the soft hair of her arms brushing up against my underarm hair as she shifted to pull the shirt past my shoulders. I raised my arms slowly, not really conscious to the fact that this was extending the time that her breasts were pressed to my chest.

With my right arm freed first, I wrapped my arm around her torso while she simultaneously pulled the sleeve from my left arm. She shimmied slightly down my left side as she tossed the t-shirt to the end of the bed. I could feel that her camisole had ridden up slightly, pressing a part of her naked belly against the side of mine. Shifting until she was again comfortable, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding as she nuzzled her head and hands onto my chest. We laid there in silence for a few minutes, but I knew that Bones' mind was racing as equally as was mine.

"Booth?"

"Yeah, Bones?"

"I am no longer impervious to my feelings about you."

"I know Bones. I'm not angry anymore either."

"Oh….good." I felt her tilt her head up to mine. Her lips sought mine for a brief reassuring kiss. I pulled her hair back behind her ears as she resumed her previous position. "I seem to have replaced my imperviousness with fear" she sighed heavily. "Of losing you."

I understood her pain. I knew it was the thing that had been holding her back for years. Abandonment. She loved her parents and her brother and they abandoned her. She loved Sully who made her choose between loves, him and me. I knew she loved me the, fuck what Gordon Gordon had said. She loved us both, but she loved me the most. But that she had to choose hurt her.

Fucking Sully. Well shit, I couldn't demonize him. Hell, I basically "Sullied" Bones with Hannah. I put her in a position where she made me choose and unlike her I chose wrong. "I'm done hurting you Bones. I'm not going anywhere. I'm yours."

The words seem to soother her. Her breathing began to pattern. "Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"I find that I enjoy being in your arms tremendously."

I pull her in closer. She threads her left leg in between mine and strokes her hand across my chest, landing on my Checkerbox scar. In the dark, she fingers the scar, both of us silent to the significance of the scar. Afraid that it may reignite her pain, I kissed into her hair again. "Let's get some rest, Baby, okay? She nodded her satisfaction. No more than another minute passed.

"Booth?"

"Mmmmm?"

"You've called me 'Baby' a significant number of times tonight. Significant in comparison to the number of times that you've called me 'Baby' in proportion to the length of our partnership. Seven times. In total, you've said it to me ten times that I can recollect. The first time you said it, you meant it in a derogatory way. But since then, you've used it as a term of endearment or as a means to soothe me…"

"I'm sorry Bones, I know that you don't…."

She cuts me off, burying her face a little deeper into my chest as she says "I like it when you call me Baby. It's ours."

I feel her smile into my chest. I grab her left hand with my right, and I kiss the palm of her hand, then return her hand over my chest while I slide my hand onto her exposed back. "Go to sleep, Baby" I whisper into her hair. I think she brushes her lips against my chest. We lay like that until our exhaustion finally catches up to us.


	3. Chapter 3: Slumber Interruptus

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

6:45 AM

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP BEEP…

"Ugh", groans Booth, realizing that he never changed his alarm. Instinctively, he reaches to disarm the offending noise, only realizing once he's full on top her that Brennan's still in his bed, more specifically, in his arms. At the last second, he braces his body so as not to assert the full force of his weight on Brennan. As he rolls back towards his side of the bed, Brennan wakes from her deep but too short slumber.

"Mmmmm, Booth – "she whines. "What time is it? Ugh…."

"Sorry, Bones, it's a quarter to seven."

"Uggggggggh Boooooooth, your briefing isn't until, what? 10:00?!" Softly she swatted her left hand into his chest.

"Sorry, I just wanted to make sure that we both had enough time to get up, shower and have breakfast."

"This is exactly why we should have stayed at my apartment last night. Two bathrooms! God, Booth not all of us need that much time in the bathroom as _you do._ It's very wasteful of water and electricity you know._"_ She groaned, trying desperately to recapture the very comfortable last position that she and Booth had achieved.

Booth frowned at her, more than aware of her assumptions about his morning bathroom habits. He recalled defending his morning routine to all the women in his life while at his own birthday party at the Founding Fathers. Rebecca, Cam and Hannah took no pity on "outing" Booth to Bones and Angela. Cam most humorously commented that she could conduct a full autopsy in the time it took Booth to use the bathroom for his morning ritual. Hannah had chimed in about the shorter wars that she had covered, and Rebecca capped off the ribbing by identifying it as the reason they didn't work out as a couple. EXACTLY what he needed Bones and her human diary of a best friend to hear. They were all amazing in their own way but God how infuriating were the women in his life.

"Fine. Enough about my morning routine" he snapped, too tired to truly be angry. "C'mere."

"It's your fault for waking me up in the first place" she mumbled. She snuggled into him, sliding her left arm under his, her hand landing low on his back. She aligned her forehead with his lips, intending to make his ability to kiss her as easy as possible. She inhaled his scent and sighed. "Better." She quipped. He chuckled at her morning petulance. Booth kissed her forehead. The two drifted off again in a sweet (unrequited) lovers repose.


	4. Chapter 4: Columbus Interruptus

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

_Brennan's POV_

7:33 AM BEEEEEEP. BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP. BEEEEEEP…

The offending sound was not the alarm clock this time, but rather the phone. "Booth, no" I wailed as he disengaged from our warm embrace to retrieve the call.

Bloody technology. While rationally I realize the importance of staying connected to any leads on Brodsky, the overproduction of endorphins and norepinephrine that I was currently experiencing for my best friend and partner had clouded all rational thought. My only focus was on a strategy to keep Booth in his bed with me as long as possible.

Still startled from the alarm of the call, I laid my arms flat against the bed, panting as he hit the power key. "Boo-" he barely answered before I heard a familiar voice booming through the earpiece.

"Booth, what the Hell is going on?" I am fascinated as Booth's face turns a crisp crimson. "It's all over the_ national_ news that something happened at that lab and I can't get in touch with Tempe. She's not answering her mobile or office phone and she's offline from her computer, and neither Cam nor Angela is accessible either? What is going on? And don't lie to me…."

As if Max was actually in the room with us, Booth recoiled from me, sat up from the bed and covered me up with a sheet. I chuckled. Definitely Max. "Where the fuck is my daughter?"

"Max…" Booth must have said Dad's name at least four times before Dad let him speak. I chuckled, pretty sure that he threatened my federal agent. "She's fine. She's here. She's here with me. What? Of course I KNOW what time it is! Now wait a second, Max. Let me explain."

Obvious that this conversation was not going to progress in any productive way, I grabbed the phone from Booth's hand. "Dad – I'm here. I'm OK."

"Tempe, thank God!" why haven't you answered your phone?

"Dad, the Medico-Legal lab team is on radio silence. One of my interns was killed in the lab yesterday by a sniper"

"What? Who?"

"Mr. Nigel-Murray"

"The English Squintern?" My face winces as I realize how similar my Dad and Booth are. I'm sure Sweets would jump all over the similarities.

"Yes, Dad – a sniper intended Booth as his target, but instead he killed Vincent. He doesn't however know that he missed his intended target." I look up at Booth who had moved very far away from me on the bed. My concern that he would be uncomfortable with my conversation with Max about Brodsky was allayed as I realized that he was staring at where the sheet had slipped down. I looked down as well. Apparently my movements against my partner during our mutual repose had caused my camisole to slip off my left shoulder. I could see that the camisole was dangerously close spilling and exposing my breasts to him. Looking back at Booth, I observed the struggle between his Catholic guilt willing him to look away and the very apparent desire to be witness to the effects of gravity on my apparel.

"The sniper may be monitoring our phones. Booth's old line has been replaced, and only authorized calls are being patched through to this new line." I look again at Booth, realizing that he added my father to his list of authorized callers. "Dad, I apologize as everything has happened so quickly, within the past 12 hours in fact. We're going to leverage his assumption about Booth's death to try and get the pounce on him"

"'Jump on him', not pounce, Sweetheart. Baby, I'm glad you're okay. What can I do?"

"Thanks Dad, I will actually need your help at the Jeffersonian. I expect that I, plus many members of the lab will be participating in various mourning services over the next few days. When are you returning to DC?"

"As soon as you need me to, Sweetheart. Do you need me to keep an eye on the lab?"

"Yes, I expect so. I, I- haven't spoken to Cam yet but I'm certain that we'll benefit from as many resources who understand the operations of the lab in our absence."

"Sure, sure, Baby. Let me know the details when you have them. What's the sniper's name, again?"

I rolled my eyes. "Dad, I'm not going to disclose this information to you. Besides, he's not trying to kill me, he's trying to kill Booth." I wince at Booth apologetically. His demeanor indicates that he understands my non-verbal apology.

I feel the need to compensate for my words that must be difficult for Booth to overhear. I sit up further in the bed, causing the camisole to slip further down my arm and finally lose its tacking against my breasts. I ignore, but am not deaf to Booth's apparent gasp and moan, and I reward him further by pulling my hair behind my ear and arching my back slightly. I'm almost certain that he lets out a groan.

"Yes, but you're usually next to Booth, Honey. About that…what are the sleeping arrangements wherever you are with Booth?"

"Daaaaaaaaaaad" I roll my eyes again. Booth's face lights up, now for other reasons than my exposed flesh. He seems to sense the fact that my father is treating me as he did when I was 15. I know the next sentence will throw him for a loop. "Booth and I are in his apartment. We have not engaged in coitus. He prepared his sofa for me and I slept on it last night". Indeed, his Cheshire grin was replaced by another visage of fear. My Alpha Male was afraid of no one, except my father, the Alpha Male.

"Okay, Honey, I'll stop teasing you. You tell Booth to keep you safe. Call me tonight. Let me know you're alright. I love you."

"Love you too, Dad, Bye." I hung up the phone.


	5. Chapter 5: Letting Go

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings_

* * *

Booth let out a deep sigh of relief. It's obvious that he was worried that I would share more with my father than I did.

I snickered at the distance from me that he had achieved during my call with my father. I placed the phone back on the nightstand and smoothed the sheets settled at my hips. I made eye contact with him, somewhat uncomfortable sharing Max' fatherly concern. "My father wants you to keep me safe."

Booth nodded in solemn understanding. "Bones, you just lied to your Dad" he stood up now grinning returning back toward me, devoting equal time between my breasts and my eyes.

"Not at all" I explained. "You DID prepare the sofa, and I DID sleep on it for a short period. And, we have not engaged in coitus…."

The silence hung between us, thick with desire. Although my intelligence far exceeded his, Booth's instincts were far more advanced than I could ever hope to achieve. He stood at the edge of the bed. The morning light shining through his blinds was illuminating his formidable physique. As a male specimen, I could say, without hyperbole – that I had never encountered a male as well-structured as was my partner. He was an easy analog for Michelangelo's David, perhaps even more beautiful than the statue itself. He was gorgeous – broad shoulders, well-defined muscles on his arms and torso, his sweatpants were hanging low off his hips, and although they were black, I was able to ascertain that either the nudity of my breasts or morning physiology or a blend of both had ignited his impressive member.

I could think of no other word to describe how I was looking at my partner, except to say that I was "leering". I could feel my chest and neck begin to patch with heat and my breathing turned into panting as he sat on the bed, easing toward me. I was becoming lightheaded, but yet I realized that I had not completed my last sentence. I slightly bit my lip "…yet."

He grinned at me. His charming smile. As he leaned even closer to me, my heartbeat increased in anticipation of his touch. His hand was inches from my breasts. I closed my eyes momentarily in an effort to regain some composure but I too wanted to see. I wanted to see his hand on me. In my mind, there was no silence, just the sound of my heart beating at irrational decibels.

He leaned into me, his lips just a breath away from mine. I marveled at the honey brown quality of his irises as he stared at me, smirking a mischievous smile at me. I wanted to grab him to me, but my curiosity about what he would do next proved victor.

Simultaneously, his hands tugged at the straps of either side of my camisole. Slowly, he dragged his fingers, with a tortuously slow journey against my arms, up toward my shoulder. Wait, what? He, was pulling my straps back up to cover my breasts.

I could not help but pout at my disappointment, but was quickly allayed by the feel of his tongue, then his lips on my neck. He shifted onto the bed, sitting beside me. He put his arm around my shoulder and suckled at my earlobe from the back. _ Perhaps it was Booth who was the genius_. "Bones, we don't have enough time." I grunted my frustration, further annoyed by his chuckle and his rational thinking. But at least he continued his lovely journey up and down my neck with his mouth.

He hummed, "We have a lot to accomplish today, and there's no way I'm going to be able to get anything done, but you –." I smiled into his face at his crass words. "….unless you get. Out. Of. This. Bed." Ahhhhhhh. He punctuated each of his words with soft kisses from my shoulder back up to the spot right behind my ear. How did he know?

I knew that his reasoning was sound, but I was unwilling to forfeit my irrational needs yet. "But Booth." I attempted to use what Michael had called my purring tone. A tone that I only used for lovers and of course if necessary for undercover operations.

I purred, "I think that we are both very aware that the natural conclusion of our brief discussion last night was that we are both ready to move forward into a more physical phase of our relationship." I brushed my hand from his sternum, outlining his pectoral muscle and down his abdominals as I shifted, prepared to straddle him if he let me. "It may be of value just to engage in some heavy petting for a bit in an effort to ease the obvious tension." I whispered my words against his neck with sucking kisses of my own as I slipped my left hand down his belly, towards his groin. I was losing my ability to control my too-long repressed biological urges.

He halted my hand's journey with a groan. "Bones…" he warned as I continued my assault on his delicious, stubbly neck. I could sense his weakening, and with slight bit of negotiation, I achieved straddling his hips.

Again, he warned me of my actions, but in this new position, his argument was limited. I was giddy. Oh, this man. He says he's mine – I can feel how hard he was for me through his sweats and my yoga pants. I press myself into him, watching how his the amber in his eyes begins to twinkle. I can recognize the dilation of his pupils, corroborating what I feel between my legs. But what was most arousing to me was his expression. I am no expert, but I believe it is adoration.

I continue my oral assault. The taste of him is amazing. I sample various parts of his upper body – his lips, his chin, his laryngeal prominence, his clavicle, pectorals, trapezius…everywhere. He continues to resist participating. He watches me, eyes closing every now and then as I kiss him and caress his upper body. He is leaning back giving me an excellent angle at which to enjoy my explorations. I begin to feel his resistance dissipate.

Surreptitiously, he lifts my camisole slightly, touching my belly, fingering the barely visible blond hairs that begin about 2 inches above my pubis. Our lips remain connected in a delicious kiss as his hand to trails from my belly, up my chest and to my neck.

He pushes me back and the movement causes my sex to lean further and more fully onto his. We both lose ourselves momentarily in the sensation. As I reopen my eyes to look at him, it was apparent that he was trying to make a decision. My fingers rested lightly on his chest as he looked thoughtfully at me. I waited for his words to come, but they did not. He fingers the edge of my camisole, eyeing me cautiously, as if negotiating.

From the limited evidence I can gather, I ascertain that he wants to pull my top off, but that he's also feeling trepidation at what this action may subsequently lead to. I try to remove any expression from my face so as not to encourage or discourage him. I just want him, but I know that he wants to make the decision.

"Take it off" he states quietly. I can feel my chest and neck flush further at his words and I promptly oblige his request.


	6. Chapter 6: Round One Goes to Brennan

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

Booth's eyes drop to my breasts and I watch him unconsciously lick his lips in appreciation. I am more than aware of the impact that my breasts have on the opposite and even my own sex. The morphology of my breasts is quite impressive – their shape and weight is quite appealing based upon the sociosexual preferences of our culture.

I would not deny strategies that I had used during the course of our partnership to accentuate or diminish my secondary sexual characteristics in an effort to disrupt and distract Booth, however such motivations would be studied, or understudied by the likes of Sweets, and I'd rather not be thinking about him at this specific moment. I study his face. Again, I observe adoration, appreciation, and desire.

He slips his hands against the sides of my torso. He leans up to kiss me and pull me right on top of him. At this angle, I warn "Booth, **_your back_**."

"Hmmmmmmph" he mumbles in my mouth. "To Hell with my back. Look at you, Bones."

Feeling the need to thinking rationally – at least for this brief moment - for the both of us, I pull him on top of me, allowing for an improved positioning between us. Booth framed me, elbows at either of my sides as he tried to keep his full weight off of me while devouring my mouth. I massaged up and down his abdominals, giddy at finally allowing myself to be with this man.

I believe he would use the term giddy as well. "Oh Bones, we've waited so long" he crooned. "It's always been you. It will always be you. God, I need you."

I'm certain that he uttered other words than this, but my mind was overwhelmed with his actions. Booth was licking my neck. Licking and sucking my clavicle and sternum. There was no position that I could achieve to get him close enough to me. He was all over me and I couldn't get enough. My control had abandoned me.

When he brushed his face along my right breast, I became very aware of the wetness between my legs. So many years had I fantasized about his unshaven face against my naked body. Finally, here and now was better than I had imagined or authored. My heart raced at the thought of the stubble between my thighs. "Ohhhhhhhhh." I couldn't contain the heady mix of his actions, my reactions and my thoughts.

I felt him chuckle as he took rubbed his cheek against my nipple. "Mmmmmmm" I added.

"You like that, Bones?" he teased while circling my nipple with his tongue.

_Suck it. Bite me, please_.

Instead of words, I arched my back, pushing my breast into his face to urge him to continue. I wrapped my hands into his hair while my body continued its quest for the perfect position to have as much as me against him as possible. He chuckled, as he continued to the left breast, pinching the very taut nub that he had just abandoned.

Although I had not engaged in sexual congress for some time, I was very, very good at it. I have had the fortune to experience many capable partners and I even appreciated the efforts of those who had not been so capable. As a scientist, my experiences with all served me with value to understand my needs from a sexual partner, my likes and dislikes as well as valuable time with male form. While I was looking forward to illustrating to Booth that which I had learned from my sexual encounters, one fact continued to flood my mind: he had barely touched me and I felt as if I was on fire.

I had no relatable experiences to compare to what I was feeling right now. Everywhere that Booth was touching me was delicious, perfect, and exquisite. His touch, how he tasted, how he smelled. I was certain that my levels of arousal were off the chart. He raised up to kiss my lips as his hand slipped down my belly and trailed into my yoga pants...


	7. Chapter 7: Camillis Interruptus

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

7:51 AM

BEEEEEEP. BEEEEEEEEEEEEP. BEEEEEEP.

At the sound of the phone. Booth collapsed briefly onto his partner in agony. Both groaning at the most unfortunate timing of this next call. He raised himself up again, planting a soft wet kiss to Brennan's lips before grabbing out the nightstand for the phone. From below him, she anchored her arms around his shoulders to keep him from going too far away. He grunted as he saw the caller's name and connected the call.

"Camille."

One word, and immediately Cam recognized that tone. She and Booth had been friends for over 20 years and she was more than acquainted with his sex voice. Momentarily cheered from her sadness about Vincent, knowing that Dr. Brennan was with him, she thought to herself - _finally._

"I'm sorry Seeley for calling so early. Two things, Angela & Hodgins determined that Brodsky took some type of access card from Leishenger. I've sent the information over to Agent Shaw & Feeb Forensics already and Hodgins is trying to nail down information on where the card's in use."

Booth sighed as his head dropped on top of Brennan's. He rolled them so that they were laying on their sides, facing each other. She touched his face, then his chest to soothe his agony. Their very intimate morning was officially over. "Cam, he needs to ID that access card, like yesterday."

"Seeley, he's on it. This is about Vincent. Everyone's on their game. We'll get you what you need. We all want this son of a bitch."

His tone softened, recognizing the pain in his dear friend "I know, Cam I'm sorry. You okay?"

He could hear the quiver in her voice. "It's a lot Seeley. You know me, I'm a cop at heart and this is one of our own. It's just…hard." She took a deep breath. "We can discuss this later, I know you've got a lot on your mind too. The second thing is that I need to speak with Dr. Brennan."

With that, he looked over at his beautiful girl with a pained face. "Yeah. Cam, take care, OK? Let me get you Bones."

"Thanks, and Seeley?"

"Yeah, Cam…I know. I'll be careful."

"Yes, do. It sounds like you've got another motivation to wrap this up". She teased.

"Camille…" he warned.

"Brennan, Seeley – let me talk to her please. Love you, buddy."

Booth smiled. "Don't call me Seeley. Love you too. Take care of everyone today. And thanks." He turned to his partner. "It's Cam. About Vincent."

"Oh." She replied nonchalantly, as if she had not witnessed the entire discussion with Booth's hand on her ass. He pinched her hip, somewhat disappointed about the parts of his partner that he had yet to explore.

"Hey Cam." She pushed him playfully off of her and sat up. Booth watched as Brennan unconsciously covered up and pulled a strand of hair behind her ear to speak with her boss. She crawled over to the side of the bed, He smiled, observing that she had conducted no such ceremony of modesty when Max had called.

It was evident that the conversation was going to take a while. He looked at the clock – 7:53 – and sighed. It was obvious that they'd need to pick up their efforts at a later point in time. He rose out of the bed and walked through the bathroom to Parker's bedroom on the other side to retrieve her bag, sensing that Brennan may require notes and whatever else for her conversation with Cam. As he strode back in to Brennan, she looked up appreciatively – partially for her bag, but mostly for the fine physical specimen that he presented to her. He kissed her cheek and went off to the bathroom to shower and shave.


	8. Chapter 8: Hot, Bothered

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings_

* * *

After Brennan finished her call with Cam, she placed three others – one to her publicist in order to postpone the her book-signing plans for the upcoming weekend, one to Max with instructions for his support at the Jeffersonian and one to her building's concierge for plant care, mail and cleaning services for the next two weeks.

While making the calls, Brennan prepared coffee and took items out for breakfast. She did not want to make any assumptions about Booth's appetite, so she trailed back to the bathroom to collect his meal order. She walked into the bedroom and to the right towards the bathroom. Unlike the last time she barged in on him in the bathroom, this time she knocked. "Booth?"

"Yah, Bones. C'mon in."

She entered, finding him wrapped in a towel at the sink shaving. The smell of his bath soap and shaving lotion permeated the room. Bones examined the breadth of his back taking up the width of the mirror and needed to touch him. She strode over to him and wrapped her arms up and around him so that her hands curled around the edge of his shoulder. Simultaneously, she inhaled and bit into his back, then leaned her cheek into his back. "Hey."

He raised his arms up, pivoting backwards to the right to pull her into a side hug with his left arm while putting his razor down with his right hand. His face reflected only remnants of shaving cream as he leaned down to capture Brennan's lips. "Hey".

Her embrace shifted from his back to his side. Brennan grabbed a moist towel to remove the rest of the cream from his face as he smiled down upon her attire – she had removed her yoga pants and then while dressing, she had not replaced the camisole, instead opting or the black t-shirt that he had worn to bed the night before. While she had hair pulled behind her ears, he beamed with pride at the rustled bangs and bedhead that was undeniably present on his partner.

"Where are your sweats?"

"I had secreted a significant amount of vaginal fluid due to the arousal that our brief engagement had caused, and it was not only uncomfortable, but also a disappointing reminder of our interruption." She frowned at him, anticipating his reprimand at her terminology.

"Bones, can I just say that that is the best sentence that I have ever heard using the phrase 'vaginal fluid'!" she beamed as he kissed her briefly. He looked down at her again. "Is it wrong that I only want to see in my t-shirts and nothing else, ever again, Bones?"

Brennan hummed "While - anthropologically speaking, my portment of your attire is analogous to a male marking one's territory, I feel as if my possession of the garment denotes my ownership over you."

"I don't know what that means." He teased her as she brushed her hand along his chest. "But I like it." He slipped his hand down her thigh, then up rear._ Jesus, no panties. _He cleared his throat, determined to resist her. "I'm all done in here, record time, huh?"

"What? You've been in hear for a while. And singing quite badly. I had to move my phone conversations to the kitchen. Do you sing like this every morning? Do your neighbors complain?"

Booth ignored Brennan. He could smell the coffee brewing. He visualized his partner, in his t-shirt, making coffee in his apartment. With no panties on. He returned from his distraction to defend his side of the bicker. "Well, you've been on the phone for a while".

She leaned her head onto his chest as they watched each other in the mirror. "Yes. I had to cancel some upcoming commitments." She sighed. "I still need to cancel the presentation that Vincent and I were going to share on Theropod versus Homosapien." she paused again. "Cam spoke with Vincent's mother already and she's asked that he be sent home to England. The funeral will be in London. Cam's arranged for transport and has asked for my assistance notifying the other interns and his classmates about, about his loss. I'm sure that many of his colleagues will want to arrange travel to attend his funeral, so expedience is key."

Booth frowned at her. "Bones, I don't think that any of the Squinterns can afford a last minute trip to England. I'm not sure that all that many of them will be able to go. Arastoo and maybe Clark…Depending upon the rate, I'm not sure that I can swing the trip either."

She turned from the mirror to look at Booth directly. Brennan's eyes darted back and forth. Booth recognized this as her "computing"; catching up to the reality that was obvious to everyone else but her. He stroked her hair as he waited for her to catch up. "Oh, perhaps you are correct." A new swell of tears began. "It's unpleasant to think that people won't have the chance to say goodbye."

Booth hugged her into her into his broad frame to console her. Simultaneously, he smiled to himself, having had the realization that – six years ago – she would have not have placed so much importance on Vincent's funeral. Memorializing the dead was a ritual that she would have preferred to observe for its anthropological context. Through their partnership, she had learned to – even if in only small ways – participate. While he was pained at her sorrow, he was comforted that she was, _feeling._ Brennan rubbed the sides of his torso to affirm her appreciation and continued talking into Booth's chest.

"Booth, once we wrap up this case, I will be taking some time off. Cam plans to close the Lab or at least a week to give folks time to grieve. I – I've postponed my book events as well. It's my plan to take at least 10 days off." She pushed back from his chest to look him in the eye. "I hope that this does not create a backlog for the FBI cases that we support, but I do think it would be good to, to regroup and spend time with loved ones."

Booth shook his head. "I understand. That makes sense. I'm sure Hacker won't mind. We've gone without your services for longer than two weeks…." he teased, a little worried that his jab may upset her.

She smiled at the barb, smacking him playfully on the arm. She allowed her hand to linger on his tricep, outlining the firm muscle. "Even if you're unable to make it to London, do you think that you could also coordinate time away? I'd like to spend some time with you and Parker." Her eyebrows raised and her eyes pleadingly.

In the gut. In his heart, Booth had already armored his heart against what they had shared between them that morning. Over the past few months, they were getting closer, but this. This was unprecedented. He was _not_ prepared. She sensed his apprehension and rushed to address his obvious concern.

"I'm tired Booth. I'm just so _tired _of not being with you. I mean, we _are_ together all the time, but I'm tired of not being able to touch you like this. After this morning, I don't think that I'm able to _not _touch you anymore." He chuckled at her. "Don't laugh at me!

He smirked. "You're cute."

"Puppies are cute, I'm beautiful."

"Yes, you are. Beautiful. Stubborn. _CUTE_. Brilliant. Infuriating. Breathtaking. Sexy. Genius."

"Genius is a noun."

"It can also be used as an adjective" he defended. "You know what else is a noun, Bones?" he slid both hands around her waist, pleased that the action caused his t-shirt to slide up on her even more. She slipped her arms around his neck, irrationally giddy about the levity of their discourse and the license that she had to brush the soft strands of hair at the nape of his neck. "Horniness."

She snapped her body into his, laughing at her recognition of the term. "I...know this term! Horny! Angela uses it to describe occasions when I have…." She paused, realizing what she was about to share.

"What, Bones? Spill it" he challenged.

Her neck grew slightly red, not by embarrassment or reluctance, but by the excitement of what she was about to disclose. Her eyes danced. She hummed her words. "There have been multiple occasions, when Angela has caught me in the act of looking at you lustily. I am certain that there have also been quite a few occasions that she has not observed. She asserts that I'm 'hedgehog horny' for you. I tried to explain to her that a hedgehog doesn't have horns, but rather spines that are stiffened by keratin, but I understand her pun nonetheless."

He was truly enjoying this. "Wow! So you've been horny for me multiple times, huh, Bones?" With a kittenish glance, she looked down at his chest and then back up into his eyes.

"I find the proportion of your clavicle to ilia very pleasing." He pressed her against the wall, placing his hands on her hips, pressing his into hers. "Your gluteal muscles are also well formed, and you drop your lighter…a lot! I cannot help but observe." He puffed out a laugh and kissed her lips. "And, I've described a behavior to Angela…of when you leverage mercenary skills. She coined the term "going all Jack Bauer?" she cocked her head and looked to see if he understood. He smirked knowingly as he slipped his hand up under the shirt, cupping her cheeks. She gasped and then reciprocated, grabbing him over the towel. "I also find that in many of our discussions, you say things that arouse me."

"I do?" He nuzzled his nose to hers.

"Yes." She whispered on his lips.

"Such as?" He returned his ministrations to her neck.

She was truly distracted, but did her best to offer an example. "Well. Uh. Ohhhhhhhh…." Her legs buckled slightly as he squeezed the left side of her bottom and pinched her right nipple simultaneously. She raised her right leg up to angle her pelvis closer to his groin. "Ummm. Uh, I must apologize. But I'm experiencing difficulty with my abilities of recall at this time. Ahhhh…."

"Hmmmm, a distraction tactic to use against you. Good to know." He pulled his t-shirt off her swiftly. The lingering scent of him on the tshirt was replaced by the fresh scent of his cleanly shaved face sweeping across her chest. She groaned huskily, pressing her hands against his shoulders.

"And, God! Your pheromones incite my olfactory senses. You smell incredible, Booth. All the time!" She curled her head towards his in search of his lips. They devoured each other in a passionate kiss. As they released for air, her senses alerted her that their bodies were still not close enough. Abruptly she tugged off his towel. He placed his right hand on her hip, grabbing the swell of her left thigh with the other. His hand slid up to grasp her ass again and with the angle of her leg, he could also feel how wet she was. He had to taste her. He knelt onto the dropped towel with his head and hands aligned with her hips. He leaned into her. He could smell the intoxicating scent of her. He breathed her in heartily.

"Oh Bones,oh Baby –" he whispered as his tongue darted out to her clit, the extended lick followed by a sucking kiss. He moaned at the taste of her. "So good" he murmured against her sex. He placed her leg over his shoulder so that he could go in deeper. She pressed her one hand into the wall and one to his head as he took her in as if she was the sweetest peach he had ever tasted. Each suck of his tongue into her elicited a silky moan, each moan building on top of the other. "Intoxicating." He puffed against her flesh. He swirled his tongue around her clit as he traveled lower to taste deeper inside her. His tongue and middle finger stroked into her with certain enthusiasm. Brennan rocked against the wall, occasionally banging her head against it in pure ecstasy.

It was for this reason that it took a few knocks before either realized that someone was knocking at the door, but both did simultaneously. Brennan whimpered. Booth groaned while standing up. He pressed his forehead to hers. Apologetically, he murmured "Of course they're early. It's the transport team. One of the kids has his ambitions set on Major Crimes. He's trying to make a good impression."

She nodded against his shoulder. "I respect his desire to impress you."

"I hope you respect my desire to impress _you_, Bones." He cupped her face as she leaned into his touch.

"While I await additional evidence, I'm confident with the promise that you have demonstrated."

"Promise, huh?" she hummed in affirmation. He pulled her in for a kiss. She moaned at the taste of herself on his lips. "Booth –" this time she warned.

"I know" he quipped. He let out a breath. "I'm going." He picked up the towel, suddenly realizing that he was not in an appropriate condition to answer the door. He looked at his partner, who also realized his predicament.

"I did that to you" she grinned. Her faced straightened with the fourth knock. "I'll put on your robe and answer the door. You should take a minute and then go into the kitchen. The coffee should be ready and I've placed some items on the counter. That should give you time to calm down? Perhaps you can prepare something to eat?" she smirked.

He stared at her, wondering if she'd get the obvious joke he had on his mind. He let it pass, concerned that the prolonged flirting would exacerbate his current state. "I will. Hurry Bones, before they knock down the door." He kissed her chastely before she scooted away.

"Oh, and wash your face and hands. You smell – and taste - like sex" she teased and he groaned. She turned towards his bedroom to grab his robe, preparing herself to be Dr. Brennan for the FBI team at the door.


	9. Chapter 9: And THEN What Happened?

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

Angela fanned herself. Aroused from Brennan's recount of her morning activities.

"Oh Honey, that is so _hot. _And so WRONG! That man has been waiting to go down on you for years and he barely gets past the sampling station. Let me tell you something, once this case is over, if you don't take off to some phone-free, crime-free, distraction-free destination and fuck like bunnies uninterrupted…well, I don't think I ever be able to respect you again." She laughed at her own threat to her best friend.

Brennan smiled, and Angela continued. "You know what? You had a terrific morning by all accounts. But I didn't hear any 'I love you's' exchanged. Did you guys **_actually_ _say the words_**?"

* * *

Once dressed and out of the shower (it took her 10 minutes to Booth's :30) Dr. Brennan rejoined Booth and the FBI team in the living room. Quickly she ate the breakfast that Booth had prepared and exchanged email communications with various interns to inform them of Vincent's death while listening to the logistics associated with their AM transport.

They knew that Brodsky thought Booth was dead, and they wanted to retain that assumption for as long as was required for the Jeffersonian team & FBI to locate and apprehend him. The AM transport was intended to illustrate that Booth's vehicle was being towed from the Jeffersonian as well as to get Brennan safely from Booth's apartment to the Jeffersonian without raising attention to her arrival.

Brennan had protested staying at Booth's apartment the night before, reminding him that Brodsky had already broken in, and therefore how safe could the location be? Booth allayed her concerns with the argument that it would therefore be the last place that he would look for her specifically, and any disruption to her routine would keep her safer, especially knowing that Brodsky may have eyes on her.

They left at 9:20. The first car with Booth and Brennan left Booth's apartment under the cover of the loading dock garage. Arriving at the Jeffersonian, the team dropped the two off to where Booth had parked his vehicle in the parking garage, where a towing crew awaited Booth's arrival.

Overnight, a team of specialists had outfitted his truck with bulletproof protection. For the safety of his transport over to the Hoover building, Booth's truck was being towed from the parking garage. While the driver from the transport vehicle assisted the towing operator, Brennan muttered how inefficient the FBI team had been by not having the vehicle on the towing platform upon their arrival as she glared at the team.

Booth looked at her. Brennan had become more agitated as the morning had worn on. He knew her signals, and he knew that she was transferring her annoyance to the team to avoid what was really bothering her. He pulled her to the passenger side of the transport vehicle. What's wrong Bones?"

Brennan fidgeted, trying to look anywhere but at Booth as she tried to withhold a new round of tears from being shed. "I don't understand why you won't let me come with you, Booth. I'm your partner. Let me be your partner."

He had been waiting for this protest to come. Of course he knew how capable Bones was in the field and he considered himself lucky for him to have her back in the field. But the risk with Brodsky was too high. Very rarely did he feel the need to tell her no, so when he did, he knew she would respect his request.

"Bones, I'll need you to push the Squints to locate Brodsky. We have a limited window to work with before Brodsky realizes that I'm not dead and I need the best working on locating him, and you're the best, right?" He cupped her face in his hands, pleading with his eyes. "Baby, I always want you in the field with me, but I need to focus 110 percent today. I won't be able to do that if I'm worrying about you. Please. Stay. In. The. Lab."

He brushed her bottom lip with his thumb, pained by her tears. Silently she nodded, then added on a breath "I just hate not being there if you're in danger…." She pressed her chest and hips further into him, tightening her grip around his waist. She whimpered into his hear, her head on his shoulder. "What if we don't have time, Booth? What if this is it for us? Brodsky could come after me, or realize that you're not dead and keep coming after you. What if he eludes us?"

"Bones don't do that. We'll get this done. We're at our best when we're taking care of our own."

"Except for Vincent…"

"What happened to Vincent has happened. We can't undo it, Temperance. But what we do in response to this. How we honor him by our actions is up to us." She acquiesced her agreement. "We're not guaranteed tomorrow." He started, kissing her forehead. "But know this – every day – and I mean every day that we've worked together – has been a blessing, Bones. If today is our last together – and I don't think that it is – but if it is, we are so lucky."

She wrapped her hands around his wrists, his hands still cupping her face. "I don't believe in luck." Allowing another tear to escape.

His lips curled up slightly. "But you do believe in evidence. We're the best team the FBI has ever seen, no?" She shook her head. "We partner with some of the best scientists and investigators in their respective fields to make this world a better place. Every day we go to war Bones, and we have the honor of giving victims back their dignity. We do this every day. To you, that's evidence. To me – I'm a loser ex-gambler from a broken home with a kid that I barely get to see – but I'm lucky enough to have you. I'm so lucky that you're my partner, Bones."

"Other than your statement about you being a loser, I concede that your reasoning is sound." Booth stroked her hair. "But, it will not ease the anxiety that I have related to the rest of this case."

"I know Bones. Let's just focus on our objective of getting Brodsky, okay? I promise that I'll be as cautious as possible, okay?"

"Okay."

Booth held her at arm's length, leaning his head down to look her in the eyes. "Bones, I'm going to ask you to do something that I never have, and hope I'll never need to again. I need you to put up your walls."

Brennan's brow furrowed in confusion and she shifted to illustrate that she did not understand his request. "I need you to compartmentalize, Bones. I need you to stay focused on locating Brodsky and getting justice for Vincent. I need you to be dispassionate and clinical today. Please don't be distracted worrying about me, okay? Be Brennan on Steroids today." He teased.

She huffed out a laugh at his ridiculous request. "Okay, Booth. We'll speak with you if we have any leads that seem promising. Please be careful."

Out of the sight line of the transport team, other motorists and the garage cameras, Booth used his whole body to push Brennan up against the transport vehicle. She gasped at the sudden action, unable to brace herself from his crowding. He placed his hands on either side of her elbows and kissed her thoroughly. "I love you Temperance Brennan. You. Are Loved. Other than Parker and Pops, there is no one that I love more, and I'm only in love with you." He stared at her to ensure that she was feeling the weight of his words. He knew – and didn't care – that she wasn't ready to reciprocate. It didn't matter. She belonged to him and the both knew it.

He continued to stare at her, watching something – change over her face. The gold fire in her eyes flashed as she nodded in affirmation. "I love you too, Booth."

Seven years. Seven years, eight states, nine countries visited between them; two therapists, eleven miles or four Metro stops between their homes; four thousand miles between them when they were furthest apart. Eight assistants. Six books she had published. Seven written if you count the deleted story. Sixteen relationships with others, hundreds of victims and almost as many arrests. Hundreds of briefings at the Hoover. Thousands of latex gloves. Thousands of French Fries. Thousands of miles traveled between crime scenes, his and her apartments and offices. Hundreds, Hell, maybe hundreds of thousands of arguments between them. All of it danced in her eyes with her statement. She said it. She was ready.

His legs buckled slightly and his eyes welled up, he was certain that he'd never hear those words from her mouth. He shook his head, they didn't have enough time for a moment this heavy. "So, we love each other then?" he tried to make light of the situation. She smiled weakly as he sucked at her bottom lip. "That's my girl, Bones. That's my girl." They held each other until Brennan had recovered from the moment. "You OK?"

"Yes. Thank you, Booth. For loving me." She sniffed and straightened as Booth watched Dr. Brennan returned. "I will speak with you later when we have more news".

"Yes we will. Go." He replaced her satchel on her shoulder that had slipped off, and made room for her to walk to the garage elevator. He watched Dr. Brennan stride toward the elevator, never once looking back at him until she waited for the elevator door. As the door opened, she turned his way to watch him watching her. She smiled slightly, and then entered the elevator, out of his sight.


	10. Chapter 10: That's What Friends Are For

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

"Honey, I'm so proud of you". Brennan found herself in a smothering embrace from her very pregnant friend. "Don't be scared. This is a _good_ thing."

"I know, Ange." She sighed heavily. "I'm just sad about Vincent, and worried about Booth. Brodsky's almost as skilled as Booth, and Booth could have rested more."

"Look. Brennan – Booth's going to be just fine. Booth's got something that Brodsky doesn't. He's got us, all of us focused on bringing him down."

Brennan was reassured by her friend's words. Feeling ready now to return to her work, Dr. Brennan said "Thanks Angela, but I really need to get back to my examination."

Recognizing the change in her tone, Angela nodded and turned from the bone room.

Brennan watched her best girlfriend waddle slowly out of the room. Before she exited, Brennan called after her. "Angela?"

"Yes, Sweetie?"

Brennan shifted uncomfortably, searching for the correct words to express her sentiment. "Thank you. You, you have been a long-standing sponsor of Booth and me as a couple."

Angela radiated a smile, giving Brennan confidence at continuing the sentiment. "Through the years, you have been quite unyielding in your insistence that we should engage in a romantic dyad. And - even without any evidence to support your assertions, I find that you were correct; that I wouldn't be sorry when I took the leap. I am hardly sorry, Ange. I'm very encouraged. Thank you for being such a good friend."

"You're very welcome. Now, let me go console my husband from my earlier scolding. I love you, Sweetie." Angela continued out, smiling to herself "Way. To. Go. Me. Way. To. Go. Studly" she added a slight bounce to her waddle. "Just keep him safe, Universe. Keep him safe."


	11. Chapter 11: Booth Got Brodsky

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

Brennan pressed the power button to hang up the call from Agent Shaw. "Booth got Brodsky."

Brennan felt her whole body relax as she watched her colleagues celebrate the news. She exchanged a knowing smile with Angela. When the initial reaction dissipated, she explained further the details of Brodsky's apprehension. The team, who had been gathered, paralyzed in the lounge since Hodgins last spoke with Booth, began to show signs of energy.

Cam, needing to rally the team stood up.

"Well, people. Let's adjourn this for now and wrap up the reports needed to turn over to the Bureau. Please have them to me by 6:00 this evening at the latest. Vincent's scheduled to be picked up at 7:30. There's a lot we need to accomplish between then and now.

After we see Vincent off, our department is officially closed until two Mondays from now, but the Lab will still be open. Dr. Brennan's father will be responsible to oversee volunteers from anthropology and archaeology who will be handling any administrative issues only. And Dr. Goodman's assistant should be the contact that you refer to in your out-of-office messages."

Turning toward Hodgins, Cam clapped her hands together, as she was known to do punctuate thoughts from her mental to-do list.

"Dr. Hodgins? Can I ask that you please have your travel coordinator forward the flight and hotel arrangements to me? If we're expected on a flight tomorrow evening, I'd like to distribute the information to everyone as quickly as possible.

Angela, are we all set for the memorial brunch at the Founding Fathers? Of course we are, you organized a wedding in a week! Dr. Sweets, can you meet me in my office? I'd like to discuss with you your recommendations for grief counseling, I'll meet you down there in five minutes, okay?" Each person stood up, nodding to Cam as she addressed them. "Dr. Brennan? Can you hang back second?"

She motioned for Brennan to sit. "Dr. Brennan. We haven't really spoken since this morning. For obvious reasons, you've been very distracted. But now that we know that things are okay, I want to make sure you're alright."

Ever Brennan, she bristled at Cam's concern. "Yes, of course Dr. Saroyan. I'm fine. While I am moved by grief related to the loss of Mr. Nigel Murray, I'm also resolved that the best way to honor his service is to forge ahead. There's no need for you to be concerned.

_So this was the mood she was in._ Cam didn't know what she was expecting now that she and Seeley were making a go of it…_less iciness? Notsomuch. _

Thinking for a moment, Brennan then added. "I look forward to speaking at Vincent's service. Thank you, by the way, for your efforts to coordinate his transport to England."

_Well, she did just thank me for something. That's new._ Cam thought. "Thank _you_ for working with Dr. Hodgins on funding travel for everyone. The interns may be reluctant to express their appreciation, and I know they are, very appreciative. And please thank Max for pitching in while we're away." She stood and Brennan followed.

"Of course. Max's absence from my life for over twenty years has made him servile to my requests. This felt like an appropriate opportunity to capitalize. Thank you as well for your leadership. I hope that _you're_ handling this loss to the best of your abilities as well. I know how emotional you can be."

**_Snap._** Cam smirked at Brennan's bluntness. She had realized a long time ago that these barbs were like love-taps from Brennan. As was historically the case, she waited on #2 and #3, as Brennan's bites usually came in 'threes'. Brennan strode past Cam, but then stopped. "Dr. Saroyan?"

"Yes, Doctor Brennan?" Cam clasped her hands in front of her, waiting for the next bite.

She spoke directly. "I am uncertain of exactly when, but very soon, I plan to engage in sexual intercourse with Booth. I… wouldn't feel the need to tell you if this was to be a casual occurrence, but I intend to pursue a romantic relationship with him as well."

Cam deadpanned, certain that Brennan was not finished. "I am disclosing this information to you as my supervisor, seeking your support in the instance that we encounter any hindrances with the FBI." She waited for Cam's reaction.

Cam continued to deadpan, much to Brennan's confusion. "Very well, Dr. Brennan. When you believe the time is appropriate, please locate the folder entitled "WTIH" on the SkyDrive. In it, you'll find the FBI's relationship disclosure information with forms that both you and Seeley will have to complete related to the change of your relationship status. The FBI has eased their policy on dating and fraternization since contracting Medico-Legal seven years ago. While there may be a slight change in how you and Booth partner going forward, I wouldn't anticipate any significant impact. Congratulations."

Brennan was uncomfortable – she was surprised by Cam's coolness, unable to identify the meaning of the acronym, and reluctant to demonstrate her ignorance to her boss. "Very good then. I appreciate your support."

"I must say, Dr. Brennan, it's very refreshing that you've chosen to move forward in your relationship with Seeley publicly. Both Director Cullen and I were concerned that when the time came, you two would be try to hide the change in your relationship, which never works."

"Well, of course. Cam. I realize that Booth and I may encounter some difficulties related to FBI protocols, especially given my past with Andrew, it's best to confront these things expeditiously with candor. Besides, I recalled how unprofessional it was when you and Booth were having sex on the low down. I suppose I should thank you for that cautionary example."

**_Snap_**** #2**

Cam pursed her lips together, holding back the desire to slap her admittedly dear friend. She decided that she was only in the mood for two Brennan bites today. _Time to regain some "hand_". Cam strode past Brennan towards her office. "Down low, Dr. Brennan, down low.

Oh, and 'WTIH' stands for 'when the inevitable happens', Dr. Brennan. Director Cullen and I have been waiting to process this paperwork for years." She pivoted on her Manolos to face Brennan again. "It's about time. I'm sure that you will find that you're a lucky woman." She grinned broadly. "I'm very happy for the both of you."

Brennan offered a small smile and watched as Cam clicked away towards her office. She was hopeful that Booth would approve of her discussing his sexual predilections with Cam. As she mulled the pros and cons of that discussion, her phone rang. "Brennan."

"Hey Bones, we did it." Brennan sighed at the sound of Booth's voice. _Finally_.

"Booth. _You_ did it, as I expected. Thank you for avenging Vincent. Where are you?"

"Port of Wilmington. Left about 20 minutes ago. On the way back to the Hoover to wrap up the reports."

"Uh, yes. You should expect Cam to have the reports over to the FBI by 6:30-7:00."

Looking out at the traffic in disgust, he ran his hand over his face. "Ugh, the Beltway's ridiculous. I don't think I'll be back until 5:30-6:00 so 6:30's fine. Maybe I'll call Charlie and ask him to get the pounce on compiling the case history…."

"Pounce? No, Booth it's 'jump'…oh, you're teasing me!"

"That I am Bones."

"It's funny, because Max corrected me this morning for using that phrase, and you knew that he corrected me, but what you did was to –"

"I know what I did there, Bones!"

Brennan was as limited in reading Booth's voice over the phone as she was in person. She was uncertain if he was annoyed by her comment or with her….But _he_ did call _her_…. She selected a less risky line of discussion with which to proceed.

"Please take caution to return safely. Do you think you'll be complete by 7:15? I _do_ have errands to complete, but I'm happy to assist in order to expedite the closing of the case. The team is meeting here at 7:30. Vincent's remains are being picked up for transport back to Great Britain this evening. I'd really like you to be here."

"Yes, I'll be there. Bones, how are you?"

"I miss you."

Booth sighs deeply at her comment. "Me too Bones."

Brennan feels less worried by his response. "While I am comforted by your voice and look forward to seeing you, Booth - I am sad and tired. I am in more control of my distress about Vincent, but my levels of anxiety were elevated in anticipation of word about your safety. I can only imagine how exhausted you must be."

"Yeah, but for good reasons, Bones. Can you squeeze in a powernap?"

"Cam's asked us to wrap up things before we close for bereavement. I'm not certain that I'll have ample time. I anticipate that tonight may be an early evening, unfortunately….Booth?"

"Yeah Bones?"

"Cam knows that we intend to have sex. I told her. We will have forms to complete. I haven't looked at the information yet, so I don't know what it entails. I expected her to be surprised, but she alluded to the fact that she and Director Cullen have been aware and waiting for this for years."

Booth thanked the Heavens that he had let Agent Shaw drive, otherwise there would be yet another traffic delay on I-495. He was both amused by her bluntness, penitent for the apologies he would have to shower on Cam, and panicked about Cullen's reaction…and Hacker. But mostly, he was relieved that Bones' breakthrough about them as a couple wasn't situational. "Well Bones, she's known since this morning."

"She has? How? I assumed you only spoke with her once-"

"She's my oldest friend Bones, she knows things about me before I know. She heard it in my voice this morning. Plus, she's known forever. You may have told her, but she already knew." He paused to allow her to process the information. "You told Cam, huh? I'm surprised that you didn't tell Angela…"

"Oh yes, I did speak with Angela about this" he rolled his eyes at his thought that she hadn't. "I must also confess that I did break my promise to you. I _was_ distracted this morning, thinking about you, and I found that engaging in what Angela calls 'girl talk' helped me to refocus. I'm sorry, Booth. I promised that I'd be Chemically-enhanced Brennan."

"Ha! 'Brennan on Steroids, Bones! Heh, heh – 'Chemically-enhanced Brennan'. That sounds like a punk band!" Booth cracked up, sobering quickly at the thought of exactly _what_ Brennan had shared with Angela. _I'll find out tonight._ "That's OK, Bones. I forgive you. I just wanted to you to know that if things were overwhelming, that you had a means to deal with it. Everything's OK. We can talk about it further when I come home."

_To me,_ she thought to herself. She smiled, though conflicted by the obvious gender roles they were personifying at the moment, especially given Angela's earlier comments about her representing the spoils of battle.

She hesitated before she began "I very much am looking forward to that. Perhaps you arrange to be dropped off to the Jeffersonian tonight? I'd like to take you home with me. I'd like – very much - to repay you for your kindness last night."

Booth's hips unconsciously popped at her question. "I'd like that, very much Bones. Staying in's a good call. I'm bushed. Not sure I'm going to be the life of the party tonight."

"Oooooooh! I know that idiom! That illustrates that you are lively and full of energy! Yes, I know that we usually will go for a drink to the Founding Fathers when we've closed a case, but perhaps it's time for new traditions."

"I couldn't agree more, Bones."

Brennan had completed the journey back to her office. Checking her notes, she became concerned by all of the errands that she'd need to accomplish by evening's end. "Booth, there's a lot we need to discuss."

"I know, but we've got all the time in the world Bones."

She knotted her forehead "No we don't. We need to discuss our plans for the next few weeks."

"Oh!" he chuckled. "I'm sorry, I misunderstood. What did I miss?"

"I understand your confusion. I could have been clearer. As quickly as you can, I'd like you to secure Parker's schedule. Jack is providing flight and hotel accommodations on his private jet for all of us to attend Vincent's funeral. We're set to depart tomorrow evening at six." Brennan bit her lip, aware that if Booth knew that she too was contributing to the flight that he may reject the invitation. _'He's got a lot of pride, Sweetheart. Sometimes you should keep the truth from him for his own good._' Pops had advised her. She hoped that she had selected this instance wisely. "If possible, there's room for you, and Parker – I know that he was fond of Vincent."

"That's pretty cool of Hodgins" Booth mused. Fascinated by her use of Hodgins' first name. He was sure that he had never heard her use it before.

"Yes it is." She hurried. "And the sooner that we coordinate our time with Parker, we can also plan for our time together. I find that even with my exhaustion, I am quite distracted by thoughts of you naked."

Booth shifted and groaned. "Stop it Bones, I've got Shaw in the truck with me."

"Oh." Brennan thought earlier of her call to Booth while he was in pursuit of Brodsky. He was in a life-threatening situation, and she was unable to recognize the urgency of the situation that Hodgins understood immediately. "Booth? Were you angry with me when I called earlier? Because I had not recognized that you were in danger?"

"Noooooo, Bones. I just couldn't talk at that moment. What made you think…?"

"It's just that it was Agent Shaw who called to let me know about Brodsky's apprehension…."

"Oh shit, Bones. Not at all! I was overseeing Brodsky's transfer, and I wanted you guys to know as soon as possible. That's all. Usually, it's you who makes the call back to the Jeffersonian, you know? No anger, Bones, remember?" he said tenderly.

"Yes. And no more imperviousness."

"Attagirl."

She chuckled. "Attaboy."

"Heh. Hey listen, Bones. If there's any chance of me getting Parker for this trip, I'm gonna have to talk to Rebecca soon. Let me call her. We can catch up later, okay?"

"Yes of course."

"Is there anything else I need to know about this trip, or anything else?"

"Yes, don't forget to check the amount of vacation time you have, and….yes! You're copied on the itinerary email that Cam's just forwarded. Check your email."

"Done."

"I'll let you go now." She was pleased with their discussion, so she figured that she try out the phrase again. "I love you Booth."

"I know. Back at you, Bones. I'll see you later."


	12. Chapter 12: Da Lime in Da Coconut

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

Angela smiled a knowing smile as she watched her best friend entwine arms with her partner and lean into him. As close as they had been, she of course had seen this several times over the history of their partnership, but what was new was Booth's reaction. Instead of fidgeting uncomfortably to cloak his reaction to her touch, he was calm, confident as he leaned back into her.

Booth rested on the couch as Brennan packed up her things to depart. He watched her perform the same ritual she always did. She caught him watching her. "What?"

"C'mere."

She puffed out a laugh. "Sweets will be here in a few minutes to walk out with us. You _just _put the kielbasa on me telling anyone else about us for a while."

"_Kibosh_." He sat up on the couch, patting his lap to indicate the location he desired her to take. "It's almost been 12 hours since I've kissed you. Come. Here."

Brennan pouted at Booth's imperative, but if she chose to be honest, she felt a warm tingle at his demand. Grinning, she came from around her desk to sit on his lap, her back against the side of the couch. She wrapped her arms around him, one on his shoulder, the other combing through his hair. He grinned at the view in his eyeline as Brennan's breasts were in full view. He grabbed her by the hip to cradle her a tad lower, giving him a better angle at her lips. With one arm around her waist and the other stroking her bottom, a very tired Brennan greeted a very tired Booth.

"Hello."

"Hi. Baby." Before she could protest his use of 'Baby' in her office, Booth planted a brief kiss on his partner. He nudged his nose against hers, outlining her smile with his lips before sucking on her very full, very sweet bottom lip. Brennan moaned at the action, giving him the opportunity to slip his tongue into her waiting mouth. For the moment, the two forgot about Vincent, about Brodsky, about 'Baby' as they consumed each other in a kiss. Forgot about the potential issues for their partnership; about being tired; about Sweets. _Sweets._

"Ahem."

The partners shot up from the couch like two caught teenagers.


	13. Chapter 13: I'm So Happy Right Now

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

Booth was the first to speak. "Camille." He breathed out a huge sigh of relief.

The sincerity of Cam's amusement was evidenced by the rare appearance of her dimples as she leaned into Brennan's office. "When Dr. Sweets said he was going to meet you two in your office, I kind of had a feeling that it would be better if I came and got you instead. I told him that I needed to speak privately with you both, and that I'd bring you over to Angela's office when you were ready to go." Again, the dimple surfaced.

"Thanks Cam." Booth said.

"Dr. Saroyan, I must apologize..."

"No need to Dr. Brennan, this is not a workplace right now - our department is officially closed for the next week. This is just a room you're in with your, your...partner. I would imagine that the prevalence of windows to your office will slow down your friskiness during business hours, yes?"

Misinterpreting the hint, Brennan stared at her windows. "Perhaps I should keep the blinds close as a standard so that no one will suspect…"

"Bones! That's not what she meant! We'll try to be as PG-13 as possible Cam."

"Thanks Seeley."

Brennan looked between Cam and Booth, completely confused by the exchange, but pleased that Dr. Saroyan would protect their privacy, she decided to join in. "Yes, while at the lab, if Booth and I choose to be amorous, we will attempt to achieve a rating that may be unsuitable for children."

Cam snickered and Booth shot a warning glance to his partner. "Let's go, Bones."

Brennan cheerfully grabbed her satchel and turned off her desk light. Booth handed Brennan her coat on the way out of the door. She locked her office and turned to see Cam and Seeley sharing a friendly hug. _That is very different to his guy hugs_ she mused. She assumed correctly that Cam was congratulating Booth on the change in their relationship.

Brennan concluded that the nature of their discussion was an opportune time to raise her question. "Booth, given the former intimate nature of your relationship with Cam and her familiarity with your carnal likes and dislikes, would you have an issue with me conferring with her?"

Booth froze. Cam covered her mouth in an unsuccessful attempt to repress a giggle. Brennan waited patiently for Booth's reply. Booth looked at Cam for help, which she had no interest in supplying. "Uh, Bones. I think I may have an issue. We'll talk about it later. C'mon." He placed his arm around her shoulder to urge her forward and gestured for Camille to proceed to Angela's office.

Recognizing Booth's evasive tactic, as the three walked, Brennan peppered Booth with questions. "Why would it be an issue for you? Cam and I are friends who trust each other, and she has valuable information that will help me ensure your satisfaction…."

Cam whispered, loud enough for Booth to hear "I am so happy right now…."

"Bones! No. What's ours is between us."

"Yes, but this has nothing to do with our _relationship_ Booth. It's just fornication preferences. I wouldn't have issue if you wanted to confer with any of my former partners. I'm sure that you and Sully engaged in guy talk about me..."

"Nope. Stop. We are NOT having this conversation! We are going to go home, have something to eat and then…oh thank God! Sweets! Hodgins, Angela! You guys ready to go?" They had arrived at Angela's office. Booth had never been so happy to see the trio.

* * *

It had been a really long day. The team dispersed to their various homes, saying their goodbyes in the Jeffersonian parking deck. Both climbed into Brennan's Prius. Watching everyone else drive off, Booth turned towards Brennan, taking her hand and kissing her wrist. "Hey. C'mere" he whispered, pulling her towards him.

She leaned towards him. They exchanged a heated kiss. He leaned his forehead onto hers.

"Are you going to say _'C'mere' _every time you want to kiss me Booth?" Brennan teased. He ignored her and kissed her again.

Brennan observed the exhaustion on her partner's face. Reaching out to feel the resurfaced stubble on his cheek, she suggested, "You're tired. Let me get you home."

"I like the sound of that Bones."

The drive was rather quiet, both going through the course of the day in their heads. Brennan paused at a unique thought that flashed in her mind.

"Have you ever had two women drive you in one day?"

Booth's head snapped to his partner. Unlike him, she usually kept both hands on the wheel and refrained from looking elsewhere but to mirrors and the road while driving. But the surprise she sensed from her question made her turn briefly.

"Uh, what you're asking me, Bones – it's….Uh, something that I may have done in the past a few times, but I don't need anyone but you…."

"What!? Booth. It happened _today._ First Agent Shaw, and now me…"

He sat up quickly "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh. Oh, phew! Yeah, **_drive_** drive. Right, Shaw and then you. Huh, I don't think so, Bones. Nope, today is a first. You're very observant!"

Brennan was utterly confused. "But you just said…"

Booth squeezed his eyes shut, praying that he could figure out the right words to use for this admission. "Uh, yeah. Uh. I just thought. When you said 'drive', I thought you were talking about sex."

Brennan caught up to his interpretation, and let out an amused "Oh, heh-heh two women! You thought I was suggesting that as a potential scenario for sex. Heh-heh." She thought for a moment, oblivious to the complete look of terror that Booth had on his face.

"Well, I don't think we should rule it out, Booth. There may be a time that we encounter a woman that we both find equally alluring, and we may want to – "

"Bones!" He interjected. "Stop, OK? Just stop. We haven't even made love yet."

"But Booth, now is the time for us to discuss our desires and fantasies. I intend for our sex life to be as rigorous and fulfilling as we can achieve. You've banned me from speaking with Cam and with that I assume all of your other partners….What if I'm not able to pleasure you to an achievable level of satisfaction? It would be selfish of me to restrict interests that may address the gap." Brennan pulled up the emergency brake, having arrived at her apartment.

Booth exited the car, grabbing his overnight bag from the backseat. "Nope. Not going to happen. All I want is you Bones. You're all I've ever wanted."

"But what if…" she protested walking towards his side of the car, as it was closer to the elevator.

"Uh unh. It's just you. And," he added, grabbing the sides of her open trench coat. "There ain't no way that our sex life won't be rigorous and fulfilling" he waggled his eyebrows at her as he pushed her against the car and kissed her. He lingered, sucking on her bottom lip.

Brennan looked up at him. "Because we're in love?"

Booth shook his head. "Yup, because we're in love, Bones." His warm brown eyes were tired, but they twinkled back at her adoringly. She kissed him.

"I'm very much looking forward to this, Booth. To us. This is an opportunity for me to evaluate love beyond the chemical reactions that occur. As I've stated before, I have no quantifiable data in this area."

"Yes, Bones. I'm excited about the data gathering, too." He kissed her nose, pulling her toward the elevator.

"You're being sarcastic. I think."

"Just a little bit. I like the idea of you being squinty about us." Booth reached out to hit the button for the second floor.

"Wait, hit the Lobby level first. I've got to pick something up with the Concierge."

The two approached the Concierge and picked up the soup and sandwiches that Brennan had delivered from Mama's. He kissed Brennan's cheek in appreciation of the gesture (knowing that Mama's did not deliver to Brennan's neighborhood, he was certain that some intern, publicist or editorial assistant had facilitated the effort).

Upon return to the elevator, it was if the both were hit by the physical, mental and emotional events of the week. Brennan cocooned her body into Booth's on the brief elevator ride up, both of them silent and motionless. Their partnership had always been about talking, action and movement. This stillness was new and welcome.


	14. Chapter 14: Bat-Manning Bones

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

"Did you talk to Rebecca?" Bones asked, taking her last spoonful of soup.

"Yeah." Throwing his napkin on the table, Booth leaned back in his chair, placing his arms behind his head. "It was _weird_. She's fine with us taking Parker for the week. We have him until next Friday." He smiled pensively.

Brennan admired the strain of Booth's dress shirt against his body. Smiling, her eyes traveled down his torso. She reached out to him, tracing a path from his pectoral to his obliques. Licking her lips, she replied "That's great news! What was weird about it?" Brennan had raised her eyes to find an amused grin on her partner's face.

"What?"

"You are _so hot_ for me, Bones! How have I _not_ noticed this before?"

Brennan scoffed. "Booth, I told you about Angela's nickname for me! I am feeling what I commonly experience being this close to your form. My proximity, coupled with my new license to fondle you at will makes my behavior an inevitability. Brennan's cheeks flushed with arousal. "If you don't want me to react in this manner, I would suggest that you alter your wardrobe choices."

Booth leaned forward, grabbing Brennan's chair, pulling it closer to him. "Yes, Bones, I _should_. I've been torturing you for years with all my low cut tops, skin-tight jeans, slinky dresses, obscenely tight workout clothes and my skimpy travel pajamas. Let's also not forget about all my sex talk, and all of my inappropriate touching during massages…. " He tugged her legs open, wrapping them around him and pulling her onto his lap.

"You're teasing me." She wrapped one arm around his neck while the other tugged on his tie.

"Uh huh." He responded, preoccupied with his new activity. He unbuttoned her top, leveraging a button-kiss-button-kiss sequence.

"Perhaps my attire was a means by which I was channeling my prurient desires." She pulled against his already loose tie, tossing it on the table. "I needed a way to emote my sexual interest but also maintain a bridle on it."

Booth grunted, aroused by the subtle shifting of Brennan in his lap. "Leash." He stroked his large warm hands up and down the sides of her tiny torso, completing his journey by cupping her breasts. She squirmed happily from his touch. "I appreciate your professionalism, Dr. Brennan. I'm touched. And, I must apologize. I had no idea how distracting I must be…." He unsnapped her bra from the front, eyes alit watching her breasts spill out to him. He fanned his hands out to squeeze her ample bosom, warm and soft against his rough hands.

Brennan sighed. "Forgiven. You've never said anything about my massages before Booth…."

"Beautiful woman who I'm in love with, touching me in less-than-platonic ways. What's there to say? 'more please?'" He gently bit her right nipple, then sucked a slow wet trail up her neck while he squeezed at her bottom, sliding his fingers toward her folds from behind.

Brennan had no idea what they were talking about any more, but heard words that she agreed with "Yes. More. Please!" She shifted further into him causing his fingers to apply more pressure against her, and to enable his mouth better access to her chest. She watched as he buried his head into her, breathing in her vanilla.

He sighed, fanning his warm breath against her exposed breasts. "God, your tits, Bones!" He placed a wet kiss between them. Brennan's center throbbed as Booth tongued and sucked at the soft flesh of her mounds in a method reminiscent to what she had experience earlier that day, but only a little further south. His hands moved to the sides of her hips so that he could push her further into his swelling erection. Achieving the angle, he began to unbutton her pants.

The assault from all angles was intoxicating. "Oh! Mmmmmmm. God!" His tongue returned to her nipples as he increased the intensity with which he sucked and swirled at them. "Ummmmmmm, Booth! The proficiency with which you use your tongue is extraordinary. Oooooooooooh, ahhh. Ugnh."

Booth reveled in his ability to reduce his partner to onomatopoeia. Now scraping his teeth against her peaks, he snickered to himself, coining a phrase in head 'Bat-Manning Bones.'

His chuckling distracted her. "What?"

"Nothing. I'm just happy Bones." He leaned in to kiss her lips, but she leaned back suspiciously. "What?"

He sighed. "I like the noises that you make when I touch you, Bones."

"Oh," she chuckled. "Well, I'm just getting started Booth. And so are you I hope." she replied huskily, pressing back into him.

Booth had enough. With both hands, he smacked playfully on her ass. "That's it! Let's go! Ooooof!" Holding onto the table with one hand, he leaned forward while he gripped Brennan's bottom with the other as he stood up.

"Oh!" Brennan exclaimed, anchoring her arms around her partner so as not to fall. "This. This is fun!" she cheered. Booth laughed at her obvious glee. "Booth! I need to clean up the kitchen!"

"It'll keep." He muttered against her mouth. "To the bedroom Bones!"


	15. Chapter 15: Like it Never Will Again

_04/13/13. A/N. Thanks to everyone who has commented. I hope you are enjoying this Sunday drive through my interpretation of Bones canon._

_It's been a lovely day in our nation's capital. With a view of the full bloom cherry blossoms and allergy medicine allowing me to prolong my stay outdoors, I had fun writing this goofy-inception-inspired chapter. Kinda long, get a beverage and a snack._

_Created April 2013 - I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

BOOTH's POV

"Ooooooooooaaaugh! Bones! What are you **_doing_** to me? Ahhhhhh…."

I was in heaven. What this woman: my Bones – was doing with her tongue – I should arrest her for it. _Oh yeah, do this to me forev-_

_She's stopping. _

_Why is she stopping? _

_Don't stop! _

_…And now she's looking at me…._

"Booth, I am performing fellatio. If I have to explain this to you…"

Her look of horror at me is priceless. I love it when she thinks I'm an imbecile. I could suck those pouty lips for hours if she'd let me.

_ But first things first. _

"_Colloquial_ Bones! I was being colloquial!_ I-just-meant-that-what-you're-doing-there-with-you r-tongue-is-incredible-and-I-love-it-so-could-you- get-back-to-doing-that-thing-that-you're-doing-**please**?_" Never in my life had I spoken words so fast. Don't think I've ever squeaked the word 'please' before, but this was a day of firsts, right?

"Oh." I watched that fucking sexy lip curl that she does when she gets the "inside" meaning of something. "You like my technique, heh, heh, heh." Up went her eyebrow as down my thighs she slithered, tits brushing against my cock.

_Attagirl._

_That's right._

_ Down you go._

I can't help but smile with pride. She's examining "Seeley Jr. and the Booths" like they were a new piece of equipment at the Lab that had been on back order for years. Her eyes danced with admiration and curiosity. My gorgeous little nerd was not done being impressed by what she saw. _Now if she could just get back to_-

Her head pops up at me again. "Try not to interrupt me again, or at the very least, attempt to keep your comments clear and to a minimum."

_Look at her cute little frown_.

I nod my head in acquiescence and plant my head back down on the pillow, sighing. _We can work on the sex talk later, just blow me, Bones._

_There she is._ I feel her tongue wrap around my tip. _Oh Jesus, that's…nice_. I have to see and when I look up, my beautiful scientist is taking my cock throat deep in her mouth.

_Vegetarian my ass._

She's turned into an 'Mmmmmming' machine as she works me over_. _My head plops back down, I run my fingers through her silky hair and I just **enjoy**.

_Colloquial_. I just said 'colloquial' while having sex. Well, oral sex. Almost sex. It had been a long day. I wasn't sure I was going to survive today, let alone be invited into my partner's bed, so I wasn't thinking about adding condoms to my overnight bag this morning. Bones thought she had condoms, but apparently she had used them all. What a conversation _that_ had been...

* * *

...

I threw Bones on the bed, delighted at the burst of giggles that had erupted from her when I did. "God look at you Bones." I mumbled.

Hair splayed against the bed. Her shirt and bra half on, half off. Feet flat on the bed, knees up – playfully rocking back and forth repeating the motion caused when I threw her on the bed. Her right arm outstretched, pulling me by the belt toward her. She sat up to remove my belt while I stood pulling off my shirt and undershirt. I did away with her tops while I was at it.

Again, I saw the orange fire sparking in her eyes as she shoved down my pants. She smiled up at me, evidently pleased again by what she saw. She placed one hand flat and low on my stomach while her forefinger trailed down my cock from tip to base. Against her will, I think, she laughed nervously – happily as she combed through my patch of hair around Seeley Jr.

"What you thinking about Bones?" I said tenderly as I cupped my hand over her cheek and through her hair. _i can't believe we made it. _

"Angela's slumber party." We both laughed at the recollection...

* * *

_..._

_Angela was a little nuts during her "Wendell Period". _

_Rallying Cam and Bones to join the crazy train, she had it in her head that Bones needed to experience everything that she hadn't had the opportunity to growing up, one of those things being a slumber party raided by "boys" What. The. Fuck._

_When Wendell told me about Angela's plan, **maybe** I scared off all the other guys from the museum, FBI, and Bones's gym that Angela had reached out to, so it ended up that just Wendell, me, and our hockey teammate Mike, who had a thing for Cam, dropped by Ange's apartment that night. Boy, was Angela pissed when she saw me, but she knew how I felt about Bones. What did she expect? That I'd let a bunch of bozos get off groping at my partner. Hell. No. Like I said. Crazy._

_As expected, Angela's plan involved everything that Parker will probably be subjected to in a couple of years: crank calls to guys, Marry-Kill-Boff, Spin-the-Bottle, 7 minutes in Heaven, Group make out sessions. _

_The guys & I were there of course for the coed games, which as you could imagine really didn't happen. He was scared enough of the both of us that there was no way that Wendell was touching Bones, and Cam had set up camp on Mike's lap almost immediately upon our arrival. So...that just left me and Bones. Heh, heh, hee!_

_It was kinda fun being a teenager with Bones for a night, but it was also** torture**. _

_God, she had this flowery little pink nightie on with matching shorts and furry little pink slippers (fucking Angela, man); her pert little nipples poking out at me, just begging for me to pinch them. And pigtails. Fucking pigtails, which just made her neck look all that much more delicious. And man, all night that look she had on her face. Like she knew nothing about boys and she wanted me to teach her everything. She loved it when we went undercover, and it was obvious that she was treating this slumber party like an undercover assignment. _

_OK, maybe Angela wasn't so bad...she hadn't kicked me out, so..._

_It was a great night. Good clean fun – mostly. Bones let me kiss her and touch her as much as I wanted, and she couldn't keep her hands off of me. Granted, Angela had given her instructions not to go beyond 'second base', but I was fine with that. A night of groping my partner while she let me – sign me up! Every. Time._

_Good clean fun. _

_Bones being Bones, she had some different ideas. While playing "7 minutes with Seeley", we argued in the closet for about 4 of those minutes because she felt that because she could kiss me all night that she needed a different experience other than making out to fulfill the objectives of the game: she insisted that I show her my penis.** Insisted**. _

_Being trapped in a closet with my hot partner with whom I was secretly in love with, Seeley Jr. had no choice but to join in the discussion with his vote. I mentioned the pink nightie, right? Bones had argued that while she had seen me naked, she hadn't seen me in all my glory. And, if I really cared about her, I'd let her see it. Like showing her my penis was a partner duty. Fine. **Show me your incredible tits.** I really didn't mean that. _

_Sigh! It was a hall pass night on our partnership, right? And I had nothing to be ashamed of, so I unzipped my jeans and dropped trou – in Angela's well-lit, walk-in closet._

_I watched Bones' eyes widen in appreciation and when she looked up at me, I could see the darkening caused by dilation. "Like what you see, Tempe?" I teased. If Fucking Angela was gonna make me call Bones 'Tempe', then I decided to show Tempe 'Seeley Booth, BMOC.'_

_She smiled at me, and gazed back down at Seeley Jr. and the boys. Did she just lick her lips?_

_ Damn._

_ "It's quite impressive. You have every reason to wear your belt buckle, Booth." She chuckled. She continued staring at it. _

_Then it happened. "Can I touch it?"_

_Fuck._

_ She wanted to touch my cock and I had to say no. God I hated being me. "Bones, no." I warned. "Second base, Bones. Above the waist. I promised Angela." Suddenly I had the grace of a Jerry Lewis character, trying to pull my pants up while swatting away my partner's hands._

_"Booth! This evening is an exercise in adolescence, which by behavioral illustration warrants rebellion from the direction of our disciplinarian figures. These seven minutes are all about submitting to our curiosities and doing what will give us pleasure. And physiologically, my neurotransmitter production of dopamine is spiking. And my decision-making has been compromised into prioritizing pleasure…." __I was hopping around the closet as she stalked after me. "And it would please me if you'd allow me to touch your penis."_

_"Bones. No. **Please**!" Oh yeah, that's right. __**That **__was the first night I squeaked the word 'please'. I tripped. "Ooooof". On the floor I went into a pile of boots and flats. Never had I been happier that Angela was as tall as she was, that she didn't wear spiky heels a lot._

_Bones hovered over me, her face pained partially by concern for my safety and partially irritated by my refusal. "Booth! Are you OK?"_

_Knock, knock, knock. Oh, thank God. "OK you two. Time's up!" Sang Angela._

_Bones may have been rebellious during the seven minutes, but she was a stickler for authenticity. She sighed. "I guess we must evacuate the closet now."_

_I was still flat on my back, cock out and terrified. "Uh Bones, give me a minute will ya? I'll be right out."_

_I watched as Tempe the Teenager fought an internal battle with Dr. Brennan. "Okay. She huffed, taking one last look at the goods before she stormed out of the closet." Pouting. Frustrated._

_ Awesome._

* * *

_Angela's slumber party._ In that one moment, that entire evening came back to the both of us.

Mischief was in her eyes as she stroked me. "Thanks for not swatting my hand away this time." She dragged her nails gently against my balls, then cupped me in her hand.

I grunted, knees buckling a little as I leaned into her. I put my hand on her shoulder for support. "That was the first time you spent the night in my arms, Tempe." _I had to._

She smiled warmly at me, pulling off my pants, boxers and socks. "Yes, that was nice."

_It was nice_. Sharing a sleeping bag on a lawn chair on Angela's roof under the stars. Seeley and Tempe. _Was_ until it wasn't. "Yeah, but I was kind of disappointed when you weren't there in the morning."

She nodded her head, remembering her excuse – she had to attend a lecture that next morning. When I woke up with Cam standing over me, a cup of coffee for me in her hand and a smirk on her face, I knew then that the exercise was over. Tempe was gone, Bones was back and the fun that we had the night before had scared her off.

_Sigh. _

But now, my Bones was here with me, unafraid.

_Thank you, Lord_.

She stood up, touching my chest, offering her hips for me to take her pants off, which I did in short order. "I'll be here tomorrow, Booth. I promise."

"Oh that was so the right thing to say, Bones." I smiled against her lips as I pushed her back onto the bed. Look at her beautiful body. My hands began to roam all over her. Kid in a toy store. I want to push and pull and shake at every knob and button on Bones that I could find, but she had a different plan in mind.

"Hold on Booth." She pushed me away slightly. I allowed her to sit up. "I need to brush my teeth."

**_What?_ **"What? No, Bones! Baby, you taste great. Let's just…." I tried to ease her back onto the bed, but she wasn't budging.

Keeping her hand over my Checkerbox scar, she negotiated with me. "Booth" she purred. I've always enjoyed hearing the sound of my name out of her mouth, but shit, she had even more ways…."I invited you here to show _my_ appreciation. My meal had hot chilies in it, and what I'm planning to do to you – " I can feel the tug in my groin "- you definitely don't want to experience the effects of those chilies." She frowned, covering my groin as if to protect it from hearing. _Ha!_

"Oh." I chuckled. "Thanks Bones! That sounds real nice, but I want to make love to you tonight. I want _you_." I initiated an assault on her neck. "I want to be inside you." Her breath shuddered as my attempts at wooing took effect. I want you to feel me inside of you…Doesn't that sound nice, Bones?"

It was her turn. "Oh." She moaned in agreement, but she was never one to back down from a negotiation without a counteroffer. _Fucking Max_. "Perhaps we can split the difference?" she suggests breathily.

Who was I to deny a pretty lady what she wanted, when what she wanted was to service me? "Those terms are acceptable" I teased. Immediately, she recalled when she had said those words to me.

To consummate our agreement, she pounced on my lips with a hot kiss. Then, as suddenly as she began it, she was gone, off to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

Face first into the bed I went, groaning at her absence. Even with my head buried in the pillows I could here her laughing at my country wolfishness.

Wait, she was completely naked, and I wasn't watching_ this_? I turned to catch a brief glimpse of her pretty curves enter the bathroom. I groaned again. I'd get her on the way back in. What to do in the meantime? While waiting for Bones to come back from the bathroom. To fuck me?

I bounced on the bed. _Hee-hee! _

OK Seel, Nookie checklist:

Pull sheets back – check.

Remove ridiculous decorative pillows – check.

Hot partner – check.

Seeley Jr. and the Booths ready to perform – check, check and check.

Condoms. Condoms – fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

"Bones!" I hollered. "Condoms?"

Mouth full of toothpaste, she answered. I interpreted her words as 'nightstand'.

"Night stand?"

"Yeauff! Wite sud"

I cracked up, crawling over to the nightstand on the right side of the bed. I had been humming since she got up to the bathroom. Opening the drawer, I realized that I was humming "Feels Like the First Time" by Foreigner. Heh! Foreigner. I have to remember to see if they're still touring. That would be a fun date for me and my lady.

_"Like it never will agaaaaaaain, never again..."_

Mindlessly singing now, I sort through Bones' drawer. Even though the drawer was shallow, she had a shitload of stuff in it. Replacement laptop battery. Pads of paper and pens. Tubes of body lotion. Bottle of ibuprofen. Ponytail holders. Lip balm. Box of condoms, woohoo!

Shit. No. it's empty….

Why would it be empty?

I looked at the expiration date - it was four years out, so I knew they had been purchased within the past year._ Purchased and used._

...

Bones had always been painfully up front with me about the men that she was with since, since forever. And I knew that she hadn't been with anyone in years...right?

My mind raced. I began to panic, thinking about my time with Hannah._ Had she started seeing someone? Had I been stupid enough to ignore that she was fucking around with somebody or – Jesus – a **bunch** of somebody's?_

I hadn't realized that she had sat down beside me. I must have scared her with the look on my face, because her minty fresh smile had been replaced by a look of fear. "What?" she raised her hand to stroke my neck, but I pulled away. "Booth, what is it?"

"You're out of condoms."

"Oh! That's okay." She said, relieved. "Well, relatively 'okay'. I believe I'm at Day 12 of my menstrual cycle, so I'm _very_ fertile. We should discuss the risks associated with intercourse tonight. I imagine that you're disappointed, but we can certainly enjoy –"

"Bones. _**Why**_ are you out of condoms? This box is_ relatively_ new." I knew I had no right to sound accusatory, but I was mad. Not at her, but at myself for not paying attention.

I needed to know. Had I pushed her so far away that she was keeping things from me?

She looked at the box then back at me, confused by my agitation, and definitely afraid of my tone. Her tears began to well up, I still don't think she knew why I was upset with her. "I, I- use them on my vibrator, Booth. Why?"

"On your _vibrator?"_

"Yes." She defended, reaching further into the drawer, pulling out a clear plastic box that encased a pretty fancy vibrator.

"Applying a prophylactic to a sex toy is more hygienic, and it improves the longevity of the device. As you know, I have not been sexually active for some time, so I rely upon this as a masturbatory aid. I must have depleted my supply last week." She searched my face, again relieved that my muscles had relaxed. "Are you upset that I use an artificial means of stimulation?"

_Oh shit, what did I do?_

_**Of course**_ she would use a condom on a vibrator. _Phew_. Asshole. "No Bones. I was just being stupid. And jealous. And mad, thinking that I hadn't been paying attention to things going on in your life. I thought that you were with someone." I grabbed her free hand. Her shoulders relaxed at my touch.

"Oh." she said, again at ease. Then her nose crinkled. "...no. I haven't wanted to engage in sexual congress with anyone, Booth."

_Except me, Seeley, the dumb fuck_.

"This fella here has done a suitable job attending to my biological urges. You're not stupid, Booth. I wouldn't love someone who was stupid. I would have told you about it, but I just assumed that you would be prudish about such things." She said matter-of-factly.

_I don't deserve her. I'm a jackass._ "Nope Bones. I think it's hot that you can take care of yourself." I pecked her lips. I looked down at the vibrator in her hand and the empty box of condoms in mine. I was curious. "Box of 36 huh? How long did this last you?"

Surprised by the silliness of the question apparently, she responded "Thirty-six times, obviously."

I laughed. "No, Bones. When did you buy it?"

"Oh! About five or six weeks ago." I raised my eyebrows in surprise. She defended "I'm 35, Booth, I am at my sexual peak." she squirmed, leaning into me.

_Dammit, I missed her sweet naked ass walking in the room because I'm a tool._

"You had been helping Hodgins and Wendell put up the base paint in the baby's room. You were just in your undershirt, jeans... and you were sweaty." Her grin widened at the recollection. "I'm afraid I would have been a better help to Angela assembling the crib were I not so distracted by the expansion and contraction of your dorsal musculature."

I snorted. "I must confess, Bones. I _knew_ you and Ange were watching me. I kinda put on a show, glad you liked it! Hodgins bought me a real nice bottle of scotch because of the night that _he_ had." Knowing I was the only guy in the room that Ange hadn't been with, and knowing Angela's libido, I wondered what Wendell got..._a car? Heh._

I tossed the empty box in the garbage and took the case from Bones's hand to put back on the nightstand. "So does _he_ have a name?"

"Don't be upset." I raised my eyebrows. "I tell everyone that I call it 'Agent Lister', but secretly I call it 'Seeley'" she confessed.

_Hallelujah. She's been fucking herself with a vibrator named after me._ Number one: I love that she thinks that she's fooling everyone by calling it 'Agent Lister'. She's so cute. Number two: Why am I a federal employee? I totally want to tweet this to EVERYONE. Especially Hacker.

"I'm far from upset, Bones. I'm flattered" I reassured. "I give you permission to diddle yourself with me whenever the sight of me becomes too distracting."

Pointing to the garbage, she exclaimed, "Well, then I'm going to need a bigger box!"

Phew, I was happy that _she_ was delighted to have rescued me from my mood. I was an idiot for thinking what I thought. Whether she realizes it or not, I've got a lot of making up to do. Just not right now.

This time, she pushed me back onto the bed. We shifted on the bed so that she was comfortably on top of me. I pushed her hair behind her ears. "So, what do we want to do about the whole birth control thing?"

I knew Temperance Brennan. I could have told her that she was on Day 12 of her cycle. I knew that she went off the pill when she asked me to donate sperm, and never refilled her prescription. I knew that in spite of her celibacy that she had STD testing once a year since she had realized what a fucking pig that Professor Sleazebag Michael Stires was. I winced at the thought she was fucking around._ I knew Bones..._

* * *

...And she was getting to know me. Very, very, well.

"Oh, fuck Baby. That feels amazing. I'm almost there. Oh God, Bones. Yeah…." Almost. There.

"Whoa!" _whatisshedoing?_

Bones! What are you doing down there?" I was almost there and she shocked me out of the trance that she put me in.

Swollen lipped and breathless, she let go of me with a pop. "What? Oh, I can sense your impending orgasm." My cock continued to throb. She grabbed it again with one hand and began to stroke me firmly. With the other, "I'm applying…"

"Whoa."

"Pressure."

"Oooooooh."

"To your perineum."

"Ugnh. Awwwwwww Fuck. Yeah."

"To give you a more…"

"Oh shit, Bones. Oh shiiiiiittttt. Yeah!"

"Explosive…" My balls tightened up. I was there. She took me back in her mouth to finish me off. She's using her mouth on me like I was a flesh-covered bone and her tongue was the only tool she had to get to her precious hard-shelled center. I have never come so hard in my life. She had played my body like a virtuoso, and I was humming all over. Christ. _This woman._

..."Orgasm."

Coming down from my high, Bones congratulated the band, kissing the tip of my cock and then gently sucking and tugging at each of my balls with her mouth.

I was Liquid Seeley. Her sexy body crawled up mine as she snuggled up on my side. She laughed, wiping away a tear of happiness that I had shed. I petted her on her head, still unable to form words.

Laughing, she put her hand on my heart. She could and I could feel it racing. Unbelievable.

"Are you sure that you're only five years younger than me, Bones?" I finally panted out.

"I told you that I wanted to share my appreciation." She reminded me. "Perhaps I was a little overzealous. It has been some time since I have been with a man. I will restrain myself next time."

"Nooooo!" I pleaded. "Just let me get plenty of rest and fluids….Vitamins, and maybe a blood transfusion before we do that again" she snickered against my neck.

"I take it that you're not too disappointed that we were unable to engage in coitus tonight." she licked at my sweat, then bit my neck. _Do that again. _

"Uh-unh. Not in the least." I kissed her forehead, still panting. Even though the thought of a mini version of Bones – a squishy little squint, wild with curly brown locks and big blue eyes (God, Bones's eyes on our baby), pissing her mama off with her first word: 'Boof' – was a lovely fantasy, I wanted to dirty up her mama a bit first. "How about you?"

"I'm quite pleased, Booth." She leaned in for a sweet kiss. "I have been waiting to do that to you since Angela's slumber party."

"I love Angela. Such clever ideas she has" I mumble, pulling Bones tight into me." I love you more."

"I know." She got up to turn off the lights.

"Hey! What's the story? It's my turn Bones!"

"I know." She replied, snuggling back into me.

"O.K! Just give me a minute to recover…. You kinda of blew my mind Bones."

"Mmmm-hmmmmm."

She felt great in my arms. Warm and firm and soft. My pacifier.

"Booth?"

"Hmmmmm?

"When we finished eating, you had said that Rebecca's agreement for us to have Parker was weird. What was weird about it?"

"…."

"Booth?"

"Zzzzzzzzz."


	16. Chapter 16: You've Got to Hand It To Him

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

_BRENNAN's POV_

_6:37 AM_

I have become accustomed to achieving four to five hours of rest each night - _eight hours. _I feel decadent.

I find that I am firmly secured beneath the heavy arm of my partner. Our positions have changed in the night. No longer am I curled against him, I am flat on my back while he is snoring softly on his belly. I must have shifted onto my back when he rose to get some water hours ago. I'm certain he's dehydrated as he never ingests enough water in the day and he was exceptionally distracted yesterday. _I will need to ensure he is well hydrated this if we intend to retain an active sex life._

I am unable to see Booth's face as it is turned away from mine. Given the position of his head and the nature of his snoring, I expect there is a significant accumulation of saliva that has dribbled onto the pillow. _ I must remember to ask him about why "wet spot" is humorous. Oh, and why his discussion with Rebecca was unusual. _

I'm rather fascinated by the weight of his arm. I am now, more than ever, aware of the physical strength of this man, but even in his repose, he is _protecting._ Protecting, and (how did Angela phrase it?) 'copping a feel', as his right arm is across my chest, laying over my right breast and cupping the left. I can see my left nipple peeking through two of his fingers._ I will never admit to him how much feeling like I belong to him pleases me_.

I stroke his arm as I attempt to shift a little. I am enjoying the feel of his soft arm hair against my chest. I have always been attracted to men with a modicum of body hair, but I am also aroused by the feel of a man's hair against me. Looking at Booth, I can see the heavy shadow of facial hair and I can feel myself blushing again at the prospect of it on my neck, against my breasts, between my thighs. It is one of my most frequent fantasies about my partner. I resolve to suggest elements of this fantasy as promptly as possible so as not to distract me further. Touching the growth on his face, I surmise that this morning would serve as an excellent opportunity.

Intentionally or unintentionally - I haven't decided - I touch him, causing my sniper to stir. His movement causes his hand to pinch at my nipple. I squirm at the pleasing biting sensation that this causes. I chuckle, recognizing that even at rest, his hands were always in motion.

It is intriguing to me: why Booth insists on keeping his hands occupied with some item or another at all times. Given the specificity of the items – the dice, poker chip, lighter and his never ending supply of naked lady pens, I induced that they may have some significance. Sadly, I made the mistake of asking Sweets once what may be his interpretation of Booth's behavior.

Sweets offered that keeping his hands busy was a means by which to control his compulsions. He believed each item represented a painful symbol of Booth's past, and that Booth's need to maintain a close proximity to each item illustrated his daily struggle to control those demons. Control was an issue for Booth, he argued; left to his own devices, Booth is reckless and shortsighted. He theorized that his success as a sniper was an illustration of how Booth only demonstrates patience, control and accuracy – only when directed to do so, or when the lives of others are at stake (such as Parker's or my life).

Ridiculous.

_Reckless and short-sighted_. By Sweets' assertion, he may as well have been describing Max. I quickly rejected his "theory", given that it was Pops who had given him his first set of naked lady pens when Booth deployed for the Gulf War. What possible pain could Booth have related to Pops?

_Ugh, enough thinking about Sweets._ Sweets didn't know what I knew.

He didn't see these hands pull me from being buried alive. He never observed how lovingly these hands caressed his son's face. He had no idea what it felt like when these calloused fingers had fired weapons to protect me from harm's way. He could not comprehend the power of these hands; power that took down an ultimate fighter who was a foot taller and at least 30 pounds larger than him. He did not feel my trust and certainty when these hands were throwing knives at me. He did not know the reassurance of these hands at the small of my back. He did not see how deftly these hands worked to first push Vincent out of the way of Brodsky's shot, or how heroically they worked to save his life. Nor would he experience the pleasure that these hands administered to me in the past 36 hours.

Overwhelmed by the moment, I pull Booth's hand to my face. I needed to feel it against my cheek, I needed to kiss his palm, his fingers. I forget that these actions may rouse him, and they do.

"Bones?" he looks up at me, confused by my grip on his arm.

"I apologize for waking you. Go back to sleep. Get some rest, Booth. " I kiss his hand again before returning it to him.

He looks at me – squinting – as if trying to comprehend my actions. His face is puffy and his cheeks are pink. His hair is now all over the place a result of my handiwork last night I deduce. The endearing confusion on his face morphs into a sleepy grin. He turns his body towards me. "Y'know, Bones. I've had dreams about waking up and finding you busy with a part of my body. Just never thought it would be my hand…" with one tug around my waist, I am again trapped in the grip of Seeley Booth.

I am aroused by my understanding of his tease. "Well, I was awake, and I just assumed that your little soldier was still spent from last night's activities…"

He cupped my face. "Bones, all of me is spent. Last night was amazing. You're amazing. At one point, I couldn't feel my legs."

Concerned, I attempted to rise to examine his legs. "Kidding, Bones. I'm kidding."

"Booth, your well-being is nothing to be flip about…" he eased me back down.

"Hey. I'm sorry. I was paying you a compliment." He said softly.

"A compliment?"

"Yeah, 'compliment'. 'plih'." I smiled. "I was just exaggerating that your – technique – was so incredible that all of the blood rushed out of my legs and into my…"

"Little Soldier?" I offered.

"Bones. I so do _not _call it my 'Little Soldier'…"

"But you do have a name for your penis?" I suggested. I was prepared for him to be uncomfortable, but to my surprise, his smile widened.

"Seeley Jr. and the Booths."

"Seeley Jr. and the Booths?"

"Seeley Jr. and the Booths!" In his excitement, I saw Parker. "That's right, Baby! I've got a doo wop trio!"

"Trio?" _Ah yes, his penis and each testicle. Clever._ "Oh, I like that." I mirrored his positioning so that we were face to face on our sides.

"Yup! An Italian doo wop trio from South Philly. Looking to play _Bandstand_."

He waggled his eyebrows at me while threading his right leg between mine. I could feel the band "warming up"against my legs. Heh heh. _  
_

"And by 'bandstand', you mean a woman's vagina…." He eased me back onto the pillow. One of my hands rested on his shoulder while the other threaded through his hair.

"Ummmmmmmm, a _specific_ woman's vagina. Me and my boys have played a few venues, and we _always_ put on a good show. But we've always wanted to make it to Bandstand…." I could feel the beginning of production of lubrication between my legs.

"Why?" he shifted so that he was partly on top of me. One hand cupping my face, the other at my hip.

"I just have a feeling that the acoustics will be fantastic." He leaned in to kiss me. His warm tongue parted my mouth with ease. I slid mine against his, marveling at the feel of him. "And we've been waiting to put on a special performance, been working on it for years". His kiss was hypnotic. I have no idea for how long we had kissed, simply that when he released my lips, I was breathless and lightheaded and he was smiling at me.

I felt the thrum of his long fingers against my folds. "How's about you let the 24 hour man check out your stage?" again his eyebrows danced.

I giggled. "I find your colorful imagery…" I felt him part me, and pinch the nub of my clitoris between his fingers. "…quite arousing." He nipped at my chin, sprinkling delicate kisses against my neck.

"Mmmmmmm. Wait until we do a mic check, Bones." He teased. I was thoroughly enjoying this metaphor.

He dipped his forefinger and middle finger into my wetness and coated me. His thumb began to gently circle my clitoris as his fingers returned to my opening. I parted my legs and pressed up into the delicious ministrations of his hands.

_His hands._

* * *

_BOOTH'S POV_

"Oh." I think that's the first word that I heard from Bones for at least 10 minutes. Well, at least the first word that can be searched for in a dictionary.

She may have had the degree in kinesiology, but I had been studying her body for years. I had been watching her reactions forever. I knew what excited her. And, I certainly didn't need any inputs from Hacker or Sully or any other moron who had been lucky enough to touch her for what I've had in my mind for years.

So here I was: well-fed, well-serviced; well-hydrated and well-rested. Laid out before me was the body of my partner. Luscious, writhing, moaning, naked. I had a mouthful of her breast, more than a handful in the other, while my hand, my lucky right hand – my firing hand – was pistoning three-knuckles deep inside the woman I love.

Splotches of pink were rising on her skin and she was whimpering and panting – _panting_ – at my touch. I could see beads of sweat forming between her breasts and at her forehead. I lick her breasts, then in between, and then blow on each breast to cool her down.

I had a mission to complete: Operation Frenzy.

Simultaneously I bite her nipple while pinching the other nipple and her clit. Her moans tell me that my attack is working.

Early in our partnership, I learned that disrupting Bones gave me a defensive advantage in a world where she should always win the race. I learned, that by distracting her thinking – confusing her with an inflammatory phrase or a comment; grabbing or pulling her when she wasn't expecting it; interrupting her train of thought; or being there when it made no logical sense, I could get under her skin, the right way.

There was no logic that she could apply to what I was doing to her right now. I kiss and suck at her neck behind her ear. I grope her sweet breasts. I can't even describe the noise that she's making right now. I change the angle of my fingers inside of her while watching her eyes dance at the change. I peck at her lips as her whimpering continues.

She was close. I could feel her tight walls begin to contract uncontrollably.

"Eyes on me, Bones." I wanted to look in her eyes the first time that _I_ made her come.

I gaze on the angel writhing beneath me. I remove the hair strewn all over her face. She looks so happy. I made her look this happy.

Right now, I'm as hard as I've ever been.

I gently thumb her right breast as she peaks. She cries out her warm groan of pleasure. I slowly reduce the pressure of my fingers inside her, using them now to circle the inside of her folds. She comes down enough to catch her breath, so I stop my assault on her chin and neck and kiss her roughly on the mouth.

She exhales heartily. I watch as her chest heaves. _Oh Bones. I am just getting started._

She reaches out to touch my cheek. She looks at me tenderly. I kiss her, matching the sentiment.

"I waited a long time to touch you like this, Bones." She watches me whisper against her lips. She smiles, pulling me into an appreciative kiss. "You look so beautiful in my arms. I'm not gonna let you out of this bed." I tease.

Finally, she speaks. "I'm amenable to that suggestion." We roll around on the bed laughing and touching.

Again I'm forced to swat her hand away from my cock. "Unh uh, Bones. I'm not done yet." I grab her ass with both hands to slide her down toward the end of the bed. I slip off the bed, kneeling between her legs. Laughing without restraint, she sits up, guiding my head first to her breasts offering them to me for a brief nibble, and then to her mouth. I am elated to see Bones so happy.

She holds my head in her hands and bites my bottom lip. I slide my hands up the top of her thighs. I spread her legs a little further, slipping my hand between them. I lightly stroke at her outer folds.

"I love you so much Temperance."

"_I love you._ I'm not going to call you 'Seeley'. Seeley's the name of my vibrator...and your penis"

"Seeley Jr." I winced, realizing that my penis had a lower "ranking" than Bones's vibrator.

"Yes. It would be weird if I called you Seeley..." she crinkled her face seeking my understanding. From the corner of my eye, I can see said version of me on the nightstand. I scowl momentarily thinking that it's been with her more than I have. _Not for much longer. _

"I'm gonna make you pack that thing away, Bones. You're never gonna need it again."

"Well, what if I'm traveling without you? Her hands are rubbing my shoulders and neck.

_God I love her magic fingers._

"Phone sex."

"What if my cell battery runs down, and I'm without my charger?"

"Skype."

"What if..."

"Shut up Bones. From now on, it's either your fingers, my fingers, my mouth or my band." I knew she was about to start another protest.

_Time to quiet her down._

I slide my fingers further into her, knowing immediately that she's ready for round two. "Oh Booth." She coos. She's so wet right now. I can't wait any longer. I want to taste her again. I abandon her gorgeous lips with a loud smack. Placing my hand in the soft between her neck and shoulder, I push her back onto the bed. I lift both her legs over my shoulders.

Something else that I knew about my partner – _she dug my stubble_. I discovered this after picking up Bones and Hannah up after a bourbon-soaked evening they had spent together at the Founding Fathers. The bartender didn't trust them to get themselves home safely in a taxi so he gave me a call.

If I was a different guy, that could have been a crazy night. The two of them were giggling like college freshman in the back of my truck, blitzed out of their fucking minds. From what I could figure out from their stupor-fueled recollections, some dickhead had tried to pick them up at the bar.

_Of course_ this led them to conclude that I was _the only man_ that they'd want to share a night with together. Bones kept going on and on about my stubble all over her naked body and Hannah kept going on and on about me saying Bones' name in my sleep and how she admired Bones' tits and had thought about kissing her. I almost ran off the road when they had completely stopped talking and just began to giggle. I couldn't get Bones out of that car and home quick enough.

I should have known right then – the thought of sharing Bones – not Hannah, Bones – was out of the question.

_What an idiot. _

Thank God that neither of them remembered that night. Too many things said that night that I still don't think I'm ready to face. Hannah never again mentioned in what context that I said Bones' name in my sleep, and I wasn't asking.

One thing that Hannah had clear and correct – Bones' tits were incredible. I slowly trailed my stubbly face against them and down her belly as I began my second offensive.

* * *

_BRENNAN's POV_

I couldn't help but twist against the heady sensation of Booth's oral assault on me. I had barely regained any composure before he slid me down to the edge of the bed and here I find myself minutes later in state that I never anticipated as a reality.

"Ooooooooooo. Right there." He is darting his tongue in and out of my vagina as he stimulates my clitoris with his forefinger. Instinctively, I clench my walls in an effort to catch his tongue with every flick. While this effort is unsuccessful, the pleasure that these symbiotic actions generates is lovely.

Booth seems to understand my game of mouse and cat, but chooses to alter the rules as he changes his digital strategy. He manually stimulates my vagina while orally stimulating my clitoris. Upon rousing me to a climactic peak, he switches the approach. I have never been this loud, but no man has warranted these sounds that I'm emitting.

The experience is inebriating. Booth's head matches the bucking of my hips as the exertion of his tongue becomes more rapid and forceful. I moan at the feel of his rough face against my thighs. My mind wanders in consideration of his prowess with his penis if evidence of his oral aptitude was an indicator.

I'm quite impressed with my ability to form sentences right now. Booth's sexual methodology is to bewilder and disorient me. He switches tactics again. While I am not normally comfortable in these types of circumstances, I find that the rewards to this approach far outweigh the risks.

_Ah!_ He is pinching again at my nipples in rhythm with my clitoris. I feel the vibration of his "mmmmmmms" between my legs.

_Ecstasy._

Even as I mewled at the intensity of his mouth and hands upon me, I sought a modicum of control. As an act of rebellion, I snatch his relatively free hand from my breast, and I begin to suck on his fingers. _This will distract him; force him to focus solely on cunnilingus. _

He peers up at me. While all I can see right now are his eyes and above, I can tell he is amused. He knows what I'm doing.

_He knows me._

Immediately, I realize the error of my actions. He climbs up my body, putting his full weight on me. I am already swollen and throbbing from his skillful mouth and hands, and he chooses to position himself so that I feel the tip of his penis against my opening.

Oh. My. God.

I whine in delicious agony. Momentarily, I recall that he has been this hard for some time and I sympathize at the restraint he has demonstrated while he is pleasuring me, but that thought is fleeting as I fight to reason why I shouldn't just slip him inside me.

_This beautiful man is torturing me._

He is struggling with the same issue as well. Through his remarkable restraint, he locks his eyes with mine, and grunts "are you sure you want to mess with me Bones?"

I arch up to better feel his tip outline my walls and back down to my opening. His will is incredible. I just want him inside me now. "Oh God, Booth. Don't stop." I am being punished in the sweetest way. We are both grunting now.

A dangerous game of rooster this was.

I couldn't take it anymore. There was no way that we would survive the rest of the morning prudently without something to be done.

I attempt to push him off of me. "Go! Go now. Go get condoms, Booth. I can't make it much longer. Something's got to be open right now. Go to a gas station. A Safeway. Break into a CVS for all I care! Go. Get. Condoms!"

This was obviously not the response that Booth was expecting as he stared at me dumbfounded. I glared back at him, certain that he understood my frustration and urgency.

He grinned. "OK. Bones." He pecked my cheek. "Just let me get this one thing first…"

"What? I inquired.

"You. Off. Again." He plucked at my clit as his scratchy beard darted back down between my thighs. I cried out, welcoming back the exquisite feel of his tongue. I was hungry - metaphorically - for all of him, but I was not to be disappointed as Booth took me even further over the edge.

...

How much time had passed again I had no idea..._had I fainted_?

I only know that I was still laying on the edge of the bed when Booth re-entered the bedroom from having had a shower - _a shower_. Jacket on with a tshirt and jeans - but still unshaven - he kissed me out of my trance and told me that he was heading off to pick up breakfast. And condoms.

I laid on the bed for another minute before turning to see the time - 7:28. I knew that I had to meet Angela at 10:30 to run some errands before Vincent's luncheon, so I decided to shower and clean up the kitchen from the night before in an effort to devote more time to Booth upon his return. _Perhaps he will want to shower again, with me, _I mused_. _

Subconsciously, I touch my belly, wondering if we will be able to maintain the abstinence that we have so poorly attempted to maintain over the past two days. Relativism is a fascinating topic. We've kept ourselves from each other for almost seven years and yet, this morning we barely were able to refrain from unprotected intercourse.

I rose with the intention of being as productive as possible in his absence, and while I accomplished everything that I had set out to do before his return, I found my speed to complete tasks was much slower than the norm.

I wandered through the kitchen, fingering Booth's glass as if it was his face. I lingered in the bathroom, staring at the places where Booth had touched me – which was everywhere. I watched my reactions in the mirror as I recalled what my partner said he was going to do to me when he returned. _I guess I do blush._

I wondered at how easy it was to be with Booth. While emotional, we were not dramatic. Although it was too brief a period with which to draw any conclusions, I was struck by how our physical intimacy was a simple extension of who we had always been. Perhaps Angela was right - we were a couple, just not having sex.

_But that was then._

He knocked on the door. I hoped that he had consumed whatever ridiculous sugary item that he needed to ingest in the elevator as I was looking very forward to his return to nudity. Assuming his hands were full of breakfast items, I hurried to the door to assist. Against his persistent requests, I opened the door without looking.

"Dad?"


	17. Chapter 17: Poker Face

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

"_I know you want what's on my mind, I know you like what's on my mind_…"

Booth sings "Sex Type Thing" by Stone Temple Pilots as he enters Brennan's elevator.

_"I knuf do eee et ud neeside_…." Into his mouth, shoves a powdered doughnut. Booth had purchased fresh fruit, muffins, whole milk (for him) and coffee for his and Brennan's breakfast, but there was no way he was going to England for five days without having a good old American doughnut today. _British Starbucks pastries were not an option._

Still, he need to scarf it down prior to entering Bones' apartment for fear that she would confiscate and toss it.

He steps out of the elevator. He ambles gleefully to Brennan's door, having discovered that the CVS around the corner was open 24 hours. He pats the bag of condoms – _a 40 pack for my place, a 40 pack for hers – woo hoo!_

"_I said ya shouldn't have worn that dress. Worn that dress…" _

Booth leans his back up against Brennan's front door. Assuming that she was still in the bedroom…_hoping_ that she was still in the bedroom, he pulled his set of keys from his pocket, appreciative of the box that the dude at the coffee shop gave him.

"Hey Bones!" he called out. "I got us a cold breakfast." Turning the key into the doorknob and opening the door. He shifted to re-adjust the box in his arms.

"I figured that we could eat it later, and get started first on breaking open these…"

He walks toward Brennan's kitchen. His sniper senses alert, he looked back over his shoulder at her father, sitting in the living room.

"….coffees."

Booth stops his forward progress, and turns to face Max Brennan. He can feel his entire body shade to crimson. "Heeeeeey Max! How are you?"

"Booth, what are you doing here? I thought you'd be with Parker getting ready for your trip tonight." Max stood up, moving slowly toward the FBI agent.

Booth looked around, Bones was nowhere to be found. _Jesus she could have texted me. _

"I, uh. We - not Parker. Your daughter, my Bon- uh, partner. Tempe! We, uh breakfast!" Booth holds up the box of breakfast items presenting it to her father as if it holds all of the answers to the universe.

Max looks at the breakfast items. "So I see." Pointing to the almost translucent CVS bag, he asks "do you need any help with that?"

"Nooooooo!" Booth snaps the bag back. Balancing the box with one hand, he slides the bag up his arm to his elbow, obstructing it from Max's reach. "I've got it Max! No. You go and relax. Do you-"

Max stops his forward motion, placing his hands in his pockets, watching as Tempe re-enters.

"Booth." He turns to see Brennan enter the room. She is barefoot, with a long tank top and a pair of jeans on. Her hair is up in a messy bun.

Booth forgets for a second that Max is in the room as he admires the beautiful creature coming towards him. He smiles. "Hey Bones."

She smiles back at him raising her hands towards his face. _Shit, she's going to kiss me._ He freezes. "Bones! What are you doing?" he raises his shoulders as if to brace himself, using the box to block her from getting any closer.

"Booth!" she frowned, placing one hand on his shoulder. With the other hand, she removed the powdered sugar remnants from his lips and light beard. "You've been eating a powdered doughnut." She grabs a paper towel to wipe her hands.

"Bones, Max is here!" Booth announces.

"Yes, Booth. I know." Brennan replied, annoyed by Booth's unnecessary observation. Turning toward Max, eyeing him with slight irritation, she continued. "Max stopped by to pick up the keys to my office, even though I told him that I would leave them with my Concierge for him to pick up this evening." Brennan shifts, dejected that the presence of her father has dick-blocked her morning.

"And to invite you to breakfast, Sweetheart. But from what I gather from both you and Booth, it appears that you two have other plans." Max removes his hands from his pockets to cross them in front of them. He taps his right forefinger on his left bicep.

"What did you say, Booth? You wanted to hold off on breakfast so that you could get started on the c- ?"

Bones snaps her head to Booth in amused surprise.

Booth is certain he's going to piss himself.

"Coffee! I said coffee!" Panicked, he looks first at Brennan for her to comprehend and then at Max to see if he's picked up on anything.

Brennan huffs. She rolls her eyes at her partner and turns toward her father. "Max, you can't stay. Booth and I were planning on having…"

"Breakfast! Together!" Booth interjects. Brennan juts out her jaw in annoyance as she sneers at her partner.

Booth pushes the box and the bag in Brennan's hand. "Bones! You can't kick your Dad out. I'm sure I got more than enough for breakfast for the three of us. Max, please. Sit. I'm going to help your Tempe – Bones get it ready. Geez Bones!" Booth laughs nervously. "Not inviting your Dad to stay for breakfast. Ha! That's so rude!"

"But Booth…"

"Didn't the two of you want to get to the hot stuff first?" At this question, both turned back towards Max. Smiling innocently at their alarmed faces, he pointed at the two cups in the box. "The coffee?" he added.

Both partners sighed out fake laughs. "Oh! The coffee!" Brennan restated.

"I'm sure we can divvy it up, Max. Don't worry. Stay here! We'll be right back!" Booth shoved his girl forward into the kitchen area, both of them whispering furiously at each other.

Max turns back toward the living room, resuming his spot on the couch. "How these two are successful at undercover work is beyond me. And I let that kid arrest me…." he chuckled.

* * *

He lets out a contented sigh a he rocks back into the corner of sofa. It had been obvious to Max that Tempe and the feeb had progressed in their relationship pretty recently. _Obvious_, because Max got a text message that morning from a "friend" that intimated that the FBI agent had accompanied his daughter home last night, and had not left.

Now, Max was aware that Booth would stay at Tempe's on occasion. But he also knew that those occasions usually involved an early drive or flight out the next day, or some outing with Parker. Neither of these two instances applied.

Reading at the text, Max's heart swelled with pride. _My little girl finally came to her senses. _Finally.

Max had liked Booth almost from the start. The first day that "Father Toby Coulter" met Agent Seeley Booth was far from being the first time that Max was aware of him.

Max's network of "friends" had kept tabs on his children for years, especially Tempe. The attention that she garnered as a best selling author made her a target to his enemies.

It killed him that in spite of his and Ruth's – Christine's efforts to keep her safe that Tempe had suffered as a teenager. Upon discovering the horrors that had unfolded for his daughter after he and Ru-, Christine had gone on the run, he made two commitments: 1) that he would avenge his daughter for the pain that she had suffered and 2) never again would he allow anyone to hurt Temperance.

Protecting his daughter had not been easy. To his surprise and delight - _and agony_, his genius daughter had the same spirit of her mother. Tempe was brilliant, independent and bold. And reckless.

Although he had had his run-ins with the law in the past, Max had been initially relieved to learn that his daughter had teamed up with an FBI agent. He hoped that their work together would keep her in country more, where Max had resources across the country to keep an eye on her. Also, he hoped that the stability of the work would be amenable to her dark temperament.

Those hopes were categorically dashed almost immediately when Max discovered that his daughter had clocked a federal judge, shot a senator's aid and almost been victim to a terrorist's bombing – all within a year's time. Max was angry, thinking that his daughter had gotten mixed up with some ladder-climbing piece of shit who only cared about the size of his office and putting his baby girl in harm's way to get there.

The initial information collected on Seeley Booth by his sources was a mixed bag. A decorated war hero with a kid. A gambler going through the program. Broken home – raised by the grandparents; no ties to Mom or Dad and a strained relationship with the brother. Street-smart. Knew how to use his charm and good looks to his advantage. Preferred expensive suits and smart, beautiful women. Ambitious. A natural leader. A boy scout with a checkered past.

Max was uneasy. He needed to know more. He needed to know if his daughter was in good hands, or if he needed to take this kid out.

His suspicions to the negative were aroused when Max received word that a hit was put out on his daughter by a local leader of a country-wide gang.

_Fucking feeb_. Max was going to handle this himself. He understood the risk that he was taking - going after a Mara Muerte leader in his own neighborhood, but it had to be done.

Max almost killed two men that day. He spotted Booth waiting for Ortez. Immediately, Max's thoughts went to a lapsed recovering gambler looking to score a quick payoff given his accessibility to Tempe. Max considered popping Booth in the car, but he knew that he needed to be patient to ensure the best likelihood of taking them both out at the same time.

Imagine Max's surprise as he watched FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth grab, clock and threaten that cocksucker Ortez. _The little fucker just put a gun in his mouth! Heh! He's crazier than I am!_

Packing his rifle away and retreating from the abandoned building he was stationed in across the way, he whistled a long remembered Poco song. In that moment, Max knew that he was not his daughter's only protector.

* * *

Max smiled at the recollection as he sipped his coffee. Booth had re-entered the room and handed it to him, not a word spoken yet between the two of them.

It amused Max that Booth had selected the chair directly opposite Max to sit in. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees while Booth mimicked the action. Although Booth was putting up a good front, Max sensed the uneasiness in the younger man.

"Uh, Bones is going to finish getting dressed before we eat."

Max dismissed Booth's statement as not requiring a reply. The mischief in Max's smile was priceless. "So Tempe tells me that congratulations are in order."

_En garde. _

_Advance._

Having just debriefed with Bones in the kitchen, Booth knew that she had not disclosed anything about them. _Game on, Keenan. _"Uh, yeah." He said coolly. "I arrested a guy – Jacob Brodsky early yesterday. Fucker was deluded into thinking he was doing the right thing with his kills. Seems I have a knack at stopping snipers." Booth repressed a smirk.

_Parry. Lunge. _

_You little prick. _ "Hmmm. So this guy? Ex-military, like you right? Sounds like a piece of work. Killed how many people before you got to him? Five? Including the kid in the lab – right next to you? And the Grave Digger…Right. Next. To. You?" He raised his eyebrows.

_Riposte._

"Max, come on now..."

"You know that Tempe is usually right beside you. I won't have her put in danger."

"I'd kill to keep Bones safe. You know that."

"And so would I."

_Recovery._

Booth and Max stare each other down, both smirking slightly. Max decides to ease up on the kid a bit.

"You _have_ taken care of her. Thank you for being there for her."

Booth eyes the father-figure, recognizing that the two of them are brothers in arms when it came to protecting Bones and vying for her love. It was this shared fate that had earned Booth's respect. "It's my job."

"So, you stayed the night here last night?"

Booth knew that Bones had disclosed this to Max. "Uhhhhhh, yeah. It was a long day. Bones ordered in food, and I was really tired."

"But you _knew_ you were going to stay the night, because you had a change of clothes…."

"Bones and I keep a change of clothes at each other's places, Max."

"So you do. That's what partner's do, I guess. You're a really good partner Booth."

"I know! But how so?"

"I checked the guest room, it's spotless. It's almost like you hadn't even slept there."

"Military training, Max. Bounce a quarter!" Luckily, Booth had been the last to make the bed after a Bones/Parker sleepover.

Max was getting bored with the jabs. _Time for a change of engagement._ "Hmmm. So the reporter's gone?" a glint sparked in Max's eyes.

Booth sat back, weary that Max was not done messing with him. He sighed, not once losing eye contact with Max. "Yeah, uh. We didn't work out."

"She figured out that you're in love with my daughter and turned you down, huh?" Max's smirk was now a full and broad grin.

Were it anyone else, Booth would have shut this conversation down, but if he was honest, he'd admit to be being a little afraid of his girl's dad. "Max…"

"Do you really think that you can find happiness without Tempe? You realize that you sabotaged _that_ relationship, just like you do every other one, because Barbie was not my daughter."

Booth leaned forward again. "You really shouldn't talk about things that you know nothing about…"

"I know this: you're in love with Tempe."

"Be that as it may – "

"So you admit it."

"Max, wait…"

"So have you told her?"

"Look. **_She's_** the one that – "

"She's the one that what? She's holding back from you? Maybe you should try a little harder. Quit with the grab ass and make a move like a man!" Max leaned back. "Unless you _have_ already. Are you sleeping with Tempe?"

The knot in Booth's stomach tightened at Max's tight smile. Booth reddened – **_he_** was the one who got to do this to suspects. Out of respect for Bones - and fear of Max, he would submit.

"Bones and I have not slept together, Max." he stated truthfully. "But I'm not looking elsewhere."

"She's the one." Max was mildly satisfied.

"Yeah, she's the one. But she's not easy, you know?"

Max knew.

He sighed. "She's always been tough. Contentious. When she was a little girl, she didn't like to be touched. For years, she was only happy in her mother's arms. Poor Russ was so scared of hurting her that he mostly steered clear of her. Her mother and I learned over time that she would respond to tight, firm hugs. She didn't like it at first, but eventually she warmed to them. They seemed to soothe her.

Booth was intrigued. "Like swaddling."

"Yeah. Like swaddling." Max put his coffee on the end table, and clasped his hands, leaning into Booth. "Over time, she became more receptive to affection, but she was always head strong and never easy" he laughed, and then sighed heavily. "I was terrified of what our running had done to her, you know? We couldn't control her environment, ensure that she was safe. Kids - when they're teenagers – other kids can be cruel."

Max shifted uncomfortably. Booth watched solemnly as the tears beginning to form in the outlaw's eyes. "And when I found out what had happened to her in foster care…."

Max mirrored Booth's raised eyebrows. He wasn't about to disclose to the agent how he had handled his daughter's foster parents. He breathed out "Well, let's just say I didn't like it."

Booth nodded slowly, understanding that not being there for Bones had been punishment enough for Max. "Yeah, let's leave it at that."

"After I was acquitted, I saw you outside, holding my little girl in your arms. She went to you so freely and held on." Max caught his breath. "I knew you were the one."

Booth shook his head in agreement. "There's nothing that I won't do for her Max." Out of the corner of their eyes, they saw Brennan return.

"I know." Max smiled as he stood up. "But I'm watching you." Roughly, he patted Booth on his shoulders with both hands and winked at him. He walked towards his daughter.

"Honey, I'm gonna go. I'll let you two have – breakfast – together. Have a safe trip, OK? I'll take care of things around here for you."

Max reached out to kiss his daughter on the cheek. Brennan surprised him by pulling him into a warm embrace. "Thanks Dad. I really appreciate your support."

Max raised his eyebrows as he turned to Booth. "Safe travels to you Booth. Tell Parker that Grandpa Max sends his love."

Booth shut his eyes, pained by the moniker. "Grandpa Max?" Brennan questioned. It was now she who was surprised.

"Yes, that's what he calls me."

"But you are not his grandfather, Dad. Booth is not your son."

"Well, that's only true in the literal sense, huh now?" he grinned.

Standing in the door, he turned again to face the couple, looking directly at Booth. "I know that you're on a mini-vacation now Booth, but I do recommend that you start the beard after the funeral. Out of respect for Vincent's family…."

Booth rubbed his face. "Well, yeah Max of course."

Max watched his daughter, amused and curious about the pout that was on her face.

"I'm surprised that you don't have a travel shaving kit here." He mused.

"Yeah, I should…"

Brennan was confused. "What are you talking about, Booth? Your kit's in my bathroom."

Booth's eyes widened.

Max snorted as he closed the door on his daughter and her – _partner_.


	18. Chapter 18: On a Jet Plane

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

Parker Booth had never been to a funeral before. Vincent's would be the first.

After Wendell, Vincent Nigel Murray was his favorite squintern because he was so funny and quirky. Parker would pester his Grandpa Max for facts and theories so that he could stump the trivia-riddled Brit.

Just like all of the team at the Jeffersonian, Vincent treated Parker like a prince, but he just felt more like a prince with Vincent - well, because he was British. While visiting the Jeffersonian with his friend Abby, Vincent have given the pair the "VIP" tour. VIP. Vincent explained to them that the use of the full words tied to an acronym (in the example, very important person) was called an _expansion_. Vincent went on to relate the difference between initialism and acronyms, and the_ con-TRAV-ersy_ that there was no agreed upon word for when one pronounced the acronym as a word.

When Vincent suggested that Parker attempt to pronounce "FAQ" as a word, with an emphasis on first two letters and a phonetic expression of the last letter, Abby and Parker giggled uncontrollably at the discovery. That trip had earned Parker a kiss on the cheek from Abby. His first kiss from a girl - an experience that would always remind him of Vincent.

He was glad that his Mom was letting him go to the funeral in England with his Dad and Dr. Bones. He had already traveled to London a few times with his mother as there was a satellite office there for her law firm. But he was really looking forward to spending the time with his father and Bones. It would be the first time that they were all together for more than a meal since before they left for Afghanistan and Maluku. And, it would be the first time that he had gone on a trip with Dr. Bones.

Parker also had never been on a private jet. He knew that his Dad had been on all sorts of planes in the Army, and Dr. Bones had been on really, really small planes when she traveled on digs. The first leg of their trip had been on a commercial plane to JFK. Upon boarding the jet in New York, his Dad confessed to him that he too had never been on such a cool plane - a Gulf Stream 450. Parker couldn't wait to email Abby about Dr. Hodgins' toy.

The jet easily accommodated 12 passengers and – as expected - was decorated with expensive appointments. Hodgins had also added his own amenities to the plane, including a 32" screen, a gaming console, and a modest computer work station with a satellite phone.

All of the single seating was leather seats/chaises on tracks so that they could be reconfigured. In the front were four seats. The two front seats had the backs to the pilot, allowing for face-to-face seating with the second row. There was a gap between the second and third rows, allowing for carry-on storage, and a catering station on one side, and the jet's entrance on the other.

The seating was double seating on the right side for the next two rows, and behind it was a small dining table that could be arranged to accommodate four. The viewing screen and computer resided opposite the table. Behind that area were two more seats on tracks that could be added to the dining table. A small corridor led to a tiny sleeping cabin and the restroom.

At the front of the jet was Hodgins, Cam, Sweets and Daisy. In the back sat Arastoo and Fisher while Wendell and Clark sat in the seats in front of them. In the middle, Brennan sat next to Parker while Booth sat across and facing them, his back to Cam.

Booth regarded his son with a warm smile. Parker's eyes darted from one corner of the plane to the next, marveling at the all the features. Although he was initially reluctant to have Parker attend the funeral, he was elated to spend time with his son and his Bones.

Peering out at the nightscape of the city with his son, Brennan - with her arm around Parker - seemed to share in his little boy's obvious enthusiasm.

_Well, he wasn't really little anymore_. Parker was ten and on the precipice of his girl-crazy years.

According to Rebecca, Parker had already been spending a significant amount of time with Abby Warner-Price. Booth recalled the last school concert, where he had had to scold Parker for continuously bumping into his drum partner during the performance.

Much to his father's displeasure, Parker would nudge his shoulder into hers, look over her music instead of his own, and joking with her in between their parts. To her credit, Abby had taken Parker in stride – nudging back and directing his attention back to the performance accordingly. She took all of his distracting behavior in stride.

Wanting his son to be raised to be respectful, Booth had a brief chat with his son after the performance. Parker took off in Abby's direction to apologize. While the former couple watched – hearts breaking – as their little boy caught up with Abby, Rebecca mumbled, "like father, like son." Little Booth grabbed the delicate hand of the adorable light-skinned, blue-eyed girl while Rebecca continued. "She's the brightest in the class, Seeley. She skipped a grade and is still the top – in school and in tae kwon do." She sighed. Her little boy was definitely his father's son.

Booth smiled a frown at the recollection – partially proud that his son also preferred brave, smart females; partially sad for the loss of his little boy, and partially worried because Abby had two Dads, one of whom was a hand-to-hand combat instructor at Quantico.

If Parker had inherited the Booth gene for ladies, his teenage years were going to be bumpy.

Although he was initially reticent, both Booth & Rebecca concluded it would be okay for Parker to attend Vincent's funeral. Parker had never been to a funeral and the parents agreed – especially given the advanced ages of Pops and Rebecca's parents - that it was time for Parker to have this experience. Rebecca also counseled that with Temperance's anthropological perspective, the services may also prove educational to the both of them.

Still, Booth had been surprised by Rebecca's easy agreement, given the last-minute nature of the trip. _Weird._ He had mused.

While he and his ex had been getting along well enough lately, Booth sensed that if Rebecca had so easily agreed to him taking Parker for the next seven days – there a really big chip that Rebecca was waiting to play. Whatever it was, he knew he wasn't going to like it.

_'I'll think about that later'_ he mused as he eased back in his seat.

With one final wink and grin at his partner, Booth closed his eyes and drifted off into a nap. He woke up about an hour and a half later. Logistics had changed in the plane a bit. Cam and Hodgins were playing cards at the table with Wendell and Arastoo. Clark and Fisher had moved up to the front seats to read and listen to music respectively and Daisy slept. Sweets was fiddling with the gaming console.

Parker was curled under Brennan's arm, leaning into her chest as she reviewed her speech for Vincent's funeral. At that moment, he felt _his _biological clock ticking. Sensing his eyes on her, Brennan looked up at her partner, intrigued by the loving expression on his face. Her skills were not advanced to be able to interpret them, but she understood he was pleased. She smiled gently back at him.

Catching up to the activity on the flight, it seemed that Parker was sharing with Brennan the FAQ story (minus Abby's peck). The duo giggled boisterously about the humorous acronym, Brennan's sense of humor evidently equal to that of a ten year old boy. The other passengers, overhearing the discussion, also began to weigh in with their favorite Vincent stories as well.

Booth watched as his lovely partner smiled and laughed in recognition of many of the "Vino Delectable tales" (as Cam called them), absent-mindedly stroking his son's curly locks. He knew how guilty that she felt about not being more present for Zach, and it was evident by Brennan's recall of stories told that she did not have the same misgivings about Vincent. She thanked the team for sharing their recollections, as she and Parker returned to making some edits to her words.

_My family's beautiful. _Booth thought smugly. His heart hurt thinking about his good fortune.

He removed his seat belt, leaning towards his partner and his son. "Hey Bub. Why don't you go back there and teach Sweets what he's doing wrong? I wanna talk to Bones."

Parker brightened at the suggestion. He looked up at Dr. Bones as if to get her permission as well. Mouth agape in surprise, Brennan glanced at Booth for guidance. He simply nodded silently and shrugged his shoulders at her with an encouraging smile.

For reasons that she concluded were instinctual, she kissed into Parker's hair before she removed her arm from around him. She stroked his back as he undid his seat belt, then off he darted back to Dr. Sweets. Booth called out to him "don't' forget to put on your seat belt on, okay?"

"Okaaaay Dad!"

As quickly as Parker moved towards the back of the jet, Booth filled the spot to sit next to Brennan. Surreptitiously, he slid her right hand into his left and kissed her cheek.

Brennan blushed, quickly looking to see if Clark, Daisy or Fisher had noticed, but all indicators pointed to the maintained integrity of their clandestine moment.

Brennan shot Booth a warning glare, but allowed her scowl to break into a smirk at his waggling eyebrows. He kissed her covered shoulder, then leaned in slowly to bite on her ear.

Brennan leaned away, deciding on a verbal approach to making him behave. "It's a shame that Angela is unable to join us." Brennan raised her eyebrows at Booth as she shared the comment with the group.

Being 8 ½ months pregnant had prohibited Brennan's best friend from traveling. It was for this reason that the team had hosted a memorial luncheon at Founding Fathers for Vincent earlier that afternoon.

At least sixty people from the Jeffersonian, FBI and Vincent's university had shown up to honor his memory. At the gathering, Angela and Fisher had compiled footage of those in attendance, and to keep her busy while everyone was travelling, was editing a homage video to be shared with Vincent's family. A lovely gesture from Angela, to be accented by an even grander gesture if she and Jack had a boy.

"Well, we can fix that in about two hours" replied Hodgins. "We would be in a range by then to do a satellite call."

Daisy had finally risen "Won't she be asleep by then? It will be almost midnight, our time."

Their commercial flight had left National (because no locals call it Reagan) a little after six and the team had arrived in New York to pick up Hodgins' jet at around 9:15. Hodgins huffed a laugh. "She'll be up. Angie's gone into nesting mode and she can't sleep. Plus, she'll be working on editing the video for Vincent."

"I hope she has enough footage to work with. I think Angela spent more time in the restroom than she did filming" mused Daisy. Eyebrows rolled throughout the jet. "Fisher, do you think you guys got enough good footage?"

Fisher, earphones still in, read Daisy's lips. He pulled out his ear buds to offer his airy reply. "I'm confident we got good material for Vincent's reel." He leaned forward to catch Wendell's eye at the back of the plane. "I'm sure there will be some stuff we can't use, but will definitely be worth keeping" he smirked.

* * *

_Wendell's POV_

I was sitting at the bar watching the crowd when Fisher approached me with a bemused smile. _**Bemused**__. I sound like Hodgins. _

"Uh Wendell?"

"Yeah Fisher, what's up?"

"Can you think of any platonic reasons that Dr. Brennan would be groping Agent Booth in the back hallway?"

I turned on the barstool to face Fisher. I'm pretty sure the look on my face matched his – raised eyebrows and a shit-eating grin. I turned back to the bar and took a long draw of my beer. "Well, now. How about that? They still there?"

"Maybe."

I hopped off the barstool and motioned to my melancholy friend "Lead the way, man." We took off towards the back.

At one point, Fisher looked back at me with this face. I had never seen him look like anything other than miserable. But right now he looked back at me with pride like he had stumbled upon his hero big brother making out with the hottest girl in school. I trotted behind him, also giddy (can a guy be giddy?) at the promise of the Ultimate Payoff: Dr. Brennan and Booth. _Finally._

As we turned the corner towards the back hallway, we ran dead into Dr. B.

"Oh, Mr. Fisher! Mr. Bray! I am sorry, I wasn't paying attention." Dr. Brennan had her hands around the second button from the top of her blouse.

_Busted. _

"Ah, uh where are you headed? The kitchen is back here. The restrooms are the other way."

As if I didn't spend four nights a month here, I said. "Oh, right! Thanks Dr. B".

As Fisher and I turned around, we heard Booth's voice begin to boom from behind her. It was obvious that he had something in his mouth, and he was holding a half-eaten kabob of some sort. "Bones! What are you still doing out here? Wanna- oh! Hey fellas!"

Distracted slightly by the kabob, Dr. B turned back to us. "We, uh were making sure that the catering order was sufficient for the number of people present."

_Holy shit, she just totally lied! Boom._

I looked at Fisher, who offered "It is quite a turnout. Surprising how in life we rarely gather the number of friends we do upon death."

Dr. B stared at Fisher blankly. She looked him up and down the way that she does when she's trying to figure out the fastest way out of a conversation she clearly didn't care about. She opened her mouth like she was going to say something to me and Fisher, but she kept eyeing Booth's kabob…_the one in his hand, heh heh._

Now, Dr. B don't eat meat, so it was pretty funny to see her face all knotted up in horror about it. "What is that?"

"It's chicken satay."

"Flesh, on a stick?"

"It's good, Bones. They put that peanut and curry stuff on it with some soy sauce and then fire grill it. It's awesome. What? Why are you making that face? You know I'm a carnivore, Bones."

"Have you had any others today?"

"Yeah, like about 20 minutes ago. Why?"

Before we became victims to the latest Clash of the Bickering B's, Fisher and I excused ourselves. They hardly noticed as she continued to light into him about the satay. Before we were out of earshot, we heard her say "I'm just not comfortable exchanging body fluid with you knowing that you may have transferred bird flesh into my mouth."

The music got a little louder as we entered the main area, but I'm pretty sure I caught a few other words, like "floss" and "rinse" from her and to my surprise, I think I heard Booth say "vaginal fluid".

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I just started cracking up. So did Fisher. My thoughts and prayers to Vincent, but it felt good to smile again. "This is fucking awesome, dude." I said.

"I know. What do we _**do**_ with this information though? I hear the Post Hannah pool's up to like a thousand bucks now. What did you pick?"

"Three months. You?"

"I had a year."

Fisher was brilliant but sometimes he just had no clue. _A year?_ It was obvious that the dam was ready to break. "Really? A year? Huh. Well, I'm still in it! _They_ broke up, like in January. I'm still in the running with three weeks to spare."

"Not so fast, the pool states that they have to come out and admit it…."

"Or, have damning evidence of their relationship." Fisher held up the camcorder. "Care to split the spoils?"

"Show me." Fisher rewound back to what he had captured.

_Hot Damn. _

Dr. B had Agent Booth pressed up against the wall and Booth was trying to stop her from unzipping his fly. Taking a different tact, she started unbuttoning her _blouse_, causing Booth to pick her up and shove her up against the opposite wall.

_Atta boy._

Thankfully, Fisher turned the camera away right before Booth fully unclasped Dr. B's bra - _not that either of us would have minded. _

_Ca-ching. _

I grinned at Fisher. I had to give him a cut of my winnings as a finder's fee. "Here's the deal – if they come out in the next three weeks, I'll split it with you 75/25. If they don't, 65/35. Deal?"

"Deal." It was apparent he hadn't expected my generosity. Where I'm from - that's what you do.

_Woohoo. A guaranteed $650. _I shook Fisher's hand.

While I always needed the money, _this_ was bigger than the money. Two people who deserved to be together were getting together. And while I was benefiting from the outcome, I also owed it to Booth and Dr. B to protect them. Before I let go of his hand, I warned Fisher. "But no one sees this footage except Angela, OK?"

Fisher smiled the least creepy smile that he had. "I get it, Booth's your boy."

"And Dr. B's our girl. She's done a lot for us, y'know? It wouldn't be right to risk their reputations."

"We are on the same page."

"Cool. Let me buy you a drink, Fisher." I patted him on the back as I reclaimed my seat at the bar and Fisher stood next to me.

We clinked bottles once the bartender turned them over to us. Fisher sighed and asked quietly "do you think that the sniper would have known it wasn't Booth who answered the phone if it was Daisy instead of Vincent? Thermal imaging is pretty remarkable these days."

_And everyone called Vincent "quirky". Rest in peace, brother._ "You're a _dark_ dude, Fisher…."


	19. Chapter 19: Ex Marks the Spot

_4/25/2013_

_A/N: thanks for all of the reviews and follows. As an east coast girl, I've been distracted by the craziness in Boston. My heart goes out to all the victims, and the first responders who just switch on to "go mode" and get the job done...still hate the Red Sox though (go Yankees!)_

_I've also been completely knocked off my feet by Covalent Bond's __The Catch in the Contradiction_. Absolutely superb writing.

* * *

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

_Wendell's POV_

Fisher and I talked for a bit before he took off to shoot some more footage for Vincent's video.

_What a video it would be. Look at this motley group: s_cientists and cops. _Nerds and jocks._ The Jeffersonian and the FBI.

_My kind of crowd._

I loved it because I was comfortable in both worlds. I'm pretty sure that this is why Booth and I got along so well. Angela called me "The Missing Link." Dr. Saroyan called "the Love Child," implying that I represented the ideal offspring of Dr. B and Booth. Maybe soon I'll be replaced by the real thing, but for now I enjoyed Sweets' obvious jealousy. While it was agreed among the interns that Vincent had been Doctor B's favorite, I was without question Booth's favorite.

I looked over at my friend. Like me, Booth was sitting at the corner of the bar watching the crowd. But if I was people-watching, what he was doing looked like reconnaissance.

_He is so John McClane all the time. Always on the watch._

Catching his eye, I chin-up nodded at him. He nodded back, though it was barely noticeable to even me.

_He's so cool._

He returned to watching Dr. B. She was holding court among a throng of students and colleagues who were sharing their condolences. I had to roll my eyes at the graduate candidates, knowing that some of them were already jockeying for Vincent's spot.

_Vultures. _

The majority of folks truly were in mourning for Vincent. I was actually surprised at how broken up that Dr. Saroyan had been when she had said some words to the group. She was still a little upset, sitting at a table with Michelle, Vaziri, Sweets and some chick from paleontology. I watched Arastoo hand her a handkerchief. An embroidered handkerchief. _He was so old school._

I smile at a cute redhead smiling back at me – _easy there, Bray_. Girls are expensive and you've got debts to pay. _Nothing wrong with looking though._

Speaking of "looking"; as I surveyed the room, I realized that Vincent had known a lot of really attractive women. As a matter of fact, we all did – Clark's lady was a bite-your-fist knockout; Daisy was pretty cute, just annoying as _fuck_. Fisher had the lock on all the hot goth girls, and we didn't call Arastoo "LLPB" for no reason – the ladies _loved_ him.

Hmmmph. We all were into gorgeous, smart, exotic women. Sexy women, all who could kick our asses when it came down to it.

_Bond girls_. Guess there are worse fixations.

I turned back to the ultimate Bond girl in the group who was on her way over to _her_ secret agent. It was obvious that Dr. B had forgiven Booth for the chicken satay incident.

I had noticed that every now and then, Dr. B would walk over to Booth at the bar under the guise that she had stationed her wine by him. Every time she came back, she'd lean in a little closer to Booth, or whisper something in his ear. Each time, he'd put his arm around her back a little lower and a little tighter.

_Who did they **think** they were kidding?_

By one o'clock, Dr. B had just decided to set up camp between Booth's legs. When she turned away from him to speak to someone, he held onto her by her belt loop, tugging her back gently as she spoke. When she was talking to him, she'd drag her hand along the outside of his thighs, while the tips of his fingers barely- but definitely- brushed her hips.

How no one but me was seeing this was beyond me. There were a lot of people around, I guess. Plus, we were all used to seeing them practically on top of each other anyway, so….

I chuckled to myself, not noticing the goddess that had sauntered up next to me.

_Angela._

Even at 8 ½ months pregnant, she was breathtaking. Don't get me wrong - I know that she and Hodgins belong together, but the months that we were together were some of the best times in my life. I'm so lucky to have kept her as a friend. I jumped off my stool to help her onto hers.

"Well, **_that_** was a production." She exclaimed in appreciation. "Whatcha been looking at Wendell? I noticed that you've been preoccupied with something over there. Is it Chloe? The redhead? She's really hot and I know she'd be totally into you, trust me. I could put in a good word…."

While Fisher and I had agreed to wait until after the funeral to spill, I was feeling the effects of my fourth beer of the afternoon. I shared, "She _is_ cute. But actually no, I was watching what will be bringing me some cold hard cash pretty soon…" and pointed my head toward Booth and Dr. B.

She followed my nod and then looked back at me. Mouth agape, she studied me for a minute.

Our brief relationship been mostly comprised of some pretty amazing sex, but it had also made it really easy for us to pick up on each other's' cues. Angela was running the Post-Hannah pool, having recused herself as an insider, and she knew that we were in my selected window of time. She threaded the needle, and I grinned goofily at her.

"What do you know?" she shot out.

"What do _you _know?"

"I asked you first."

"You **_know_**. Wait, how could you know? Who told you?"

"Fisher."

She pressed her lips together in doubt. "Then **_you_** don't know what **_I_** know."

Again, I motioned for her to look over at the pair, and she did just in time to see Dr. B (still between Booth's legs) grab Booth's right hand. To most at the bar, she had simply turned toward the bar to take a sip of her wine, but from our vantage point, you could see Dr. B slipping Booth's hand under her shirt to touch her belly – and higher.

Angela beamed proudly at her BFF and then looked at me, incredulous. "Shit. You _totally_ know! How did Fisher find out?"

"He caught them. In the back hallway. On film."

She giggled. "I guess they made up." I had no idea what she was talking about. She wasn't talking about the chicken satay thing…

"Well, we know that hallway quite well, don't we?" she smirked.

_God, she had the best smile._

"You can still see the indentations from my heels in the wall" she teased. I'm pretty sure I was eight shades of red and waiting for Hodgins to come out of nowhere and clock me.

"Relax Wendell, Hodgie's giving a science lesson over there." She pointed to the tables where her husband looked to be giving an impromptu lesson to "The Swarm", the nickname we had for all of Hodgins' bug and slime groupies. I let out a breath.

She continued, "Well, I guess we should toast congratulations to your win! This is _huge_, right?"

"Yes, really huge. I'm happy for them, they deserve it."

I called over the bartender to get Angela a glass of water. She smiled in appreciation and then said, "I've got to tell you, Booth really is a quality guy. Think about it - with the exception of the Hannah Hiatus and a couple of random dalliances, he stuck in there for _seven_ years."

"Well, when you love someone, you'd wait forever I guess. Hodgins waited for you." I countered.

"Yes, he did." She replied warmly, rubbing her belly. "He's _my_ quality guy."

We clinked glasses. I drank my beer and Angela sipped at her water.

Not having spoken to Booth in a few weeks, I was curious. "Do you know when it happened? Has this been going on for a while?"

"A couple of days ago. The night that we lost Vincent." She winced.

"Oh."

We both sat there thinking about the significance of their timing. It made sense. Dr. B was too tough for her own good. She had so many walls. The only way that Booth could finally get through to her was if her armor was already pierced.

"Well, if anything good could come from losing Vincent…" I drifted off.

"My sentiments exactly. I just hope they really let themselves **_be_** together. They are so volatile some times. And, I'm going to be far too busy and sleep-deprived with baby Hodgie to babysit Bren when they fight. Like this morning."

"Already? Why what happened?"

Angela looked over to her best friend and Booth, then back at me, sighing. "They got into it about Hannah."

_Hannah?_ "Hannah? What the hell for?"

She adjusted herself on the stool. She looked really uncomfortable - not because of the conversation, but because of the baby. I pointed to some leather chairs nearby for a change of seating. She agreed, allowing me to help her up, and then down into the cushy chair.

"Thanks! Ooooooof! This is_ much_ better. You're going to need a crane to get me out of this chair, though." she warned.

I handed her the glass of water. "Thanks! Apparently Hannah called to thank Brennan for agreeing to be interviewed for a CNB exclusive….."

"Interview?" I interrupted.

"Yeah. You know how twitchy the Jeffersonian board can be, especially after the whole thing with Zack. _Sigh._ They're concerned that bad press about Vincent's death may translate into lost donations...and in _this_ economy...bladie blah" she sang, obviously annoyed by the bureaucracy. "So, in order for them to agree to close our department for this week, they asked Cam to make Brennan do some press."

"But Dr. B's not the best when it comes to…"

"I know. But she is the Jewel of the Jeffersonian, and tries to play her role well. Which is why she suggested to Cam doing an exclusive with Hannah. She knows and is comfortable with Hannah."

"Ahhhh, so Booth found out, and wasn't too happy about it."

"_Exactly._ He got pissed, and took off from her apartment this morning, leaving me with a cranky, unsatisfied Brennan to deal with."

Thinking about Dr. B and Booth having sex was like hearing about your parents being together. But I couldn't tell Ange that. "Wow" was all I said.

"Yeah. Booth doesn't want_ anything_ to do with Hannah, and given the change in their relationship, he's worried that Hannah may not paint Bren in the best light."

"I agree with Dr. B. She can hold her own with Hannah. Besides, Hannah's known for a long time about how Booth's felt about Dr. B. She's had all the time in the world to get over it."

_Dammit, I slipped_.

"I guess you're right...Wait, you meant how _Dr. B's_ felt about Booth."

I began to turn red. "Uh, yeah. That's right. I mixed it up." Lying was not my strong suit.

Ange's interest was piqued. I tried to reset my face but there was no hiding from Angela. "Spill it!"

"Ange, I can't say anything. Booth doesn't even know. He'd kill me if he found out."

She sat silent for about a minute. Staring. Calculating. She looked at me like I was an easy encryption.

I was in big trouble. She pressed her lips in a frown and said. "You do know that I can disqualify you from the bet for the same reasons that I recused myself right? You're his boy."

_His boy._ I sighed. Everyone knew I was Booth's boy. He may have known Hodgins longer and spent more time with Sweets, but I was definitely his boy.

But unlike all the other guys in our sphere – Booth would actually have hung out with me if we hadn't met through Cam and Dr. B. We got along. We're both boys from PA. We work hard everyday to overcome the shit that life threw at us. We both lost our dads – mine to cancer, his to alcohol. We played sports together. We got fucked-up drunk together. We talked about the women in our lives together. I knew that I was one of the only three people that Booth really talked to about Dr. B – Cam and his Pops being the other two. I was his boy. A friend with no agenda that he could trust. I did not take that privilege lightly.

"…._Because_ I'm Booth's boy is exactly why I can't tell you anything. _You're Brennan's girl_. And, everyone agreed to my inclusion when we set up the Post-Hannah pool. So, you're just bluffing, Sister."

_ Point to Bray. _

I was grinning ear-to-ear. I thought that I had won battle. But, shit. I was messing with a Bond girl. That was her first shot. Angela had that look in her eye like she was just getting started.

_ Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…_

"Hmmph. Well, maybe I'll share with Hodgins what you and I did in his upstairs study at his Halloween party..."

_Ouch._

That was just one of a handful of Hodgins-would-kill-you-if-he-knew-what-we-did scenarios that she could throw at me.

_Shit. _

_OK. New strategy: begging._

"Ange, come on - feel my pain. I can't. You know how private a person Booth is. If I haven't told him and he found out I told you something…_anything_, I'm as good as dead or at least gone from the program."

She frowned.

_Good. Frowning's good. That means she's reconsidering._

Oh no, she's not…

"Wendell, we have to stick together here. Your boy, my girl. We have to compare notes. This is our job! For their own good. You tell me what you know…."

She was not going to give up.

* * *

_"No! Booth sit the fuck down, man! If you try it again..."_

**_Huh! I'm trying to threaten an FBI Agent._**

_"C'mon Wendell!" Let me call her. I just want to talk to her. Say I'm sorry. Give me my fucking phone! I'll arrest you..."_

_Booth was slurring his word like crazy. He was stoopid drunk and there was no way that I was going to leave him on his own right now. He had already gotten himself in enough trouble. There was no way that I was going to let him call Dr. B._

_It had all started innocently enough. A bunch of the team had met up at Penn Quarter Tavern after a hockey game. There was no room at the bar, so we had grouped together a bunch of tables._

_It was obvious that something had been bugging Booth, because he had spent more time in the penalty box than in the actual game, so we all just let him alone with his Scotch._

_There was another group of rowdier guys in the bar celebrating a bachelor's party in the back room. I had gone up to the bar to make change for our waitresses' tip, and one of the party guests - namely the bachelor - trips into to me._

_"Whoa, Buddy! You okay there?" I asked. "You seem to be having a problem with gravity."_

_"I'm fine!" he spat out. "I'm just looking for Alison. Ally? Where are you baby? 'Alison, I know this world is killing youuuuuu...'" Trust me, this guy's physical appearance was the only thing similar to Elvis Costello._

_I knew who "Elvis" was talking about. Ally was a waitress at the bar, a nice girl. And it was pretty obvious that this asshole had been giving her a hard time. He had gotten louder and less able to stand up without assistance._

_"Why don't you settle down, Buddy?" I suggested. "Alison's just trying to do her job. How about I take you back to your friends?"_

_He stared at me. Well, not really stared. You know that intense look that drunk people get on their face when they're trying hard to concentrate or focus on one thing? I was that one thing for this tool. After a while, he finally responded. "What are you? A cop?"_

_I smiled, tilting my head toward Booth over at the tables. "No he's a cop. I'm a Forensic Anthropologist."_

_I figured that calling Booth out as a cop may help to sober up this dude a bit and send him on his way. But he seemed more interested in me._

_"You're a for-nesic thropolygist? I used to fuck a for-nesic thropolygist! A hot one! Not that you're not a good looking guy, man. But I like, no looooooove pussy."_

**_Uh oh..._**

_"You know her? Tempe Brennan? If you do, dude - I'm telling you - you have got to nail her! She will rock your world!"_

**_Hooboy._**

_Booth had heard Dr. B's name mentioned and he came over to investigate. The asshole had stopped leaning on me and was now at a 30 degree angle leaning...hugging a support column._

_"Not that I don't love my beautiful Jennifer. I** love** her, you know? That's why we're gonna get married. On Saturday. But I right now - I really want Alisooooon! Or Tempe. Man, she was a hot piece of ass."_

**_3, 2, 1..._**

_Booth steps into his face. "Hey Pal, you're a little out of control right now, why don't you go back to your party with your friends?"_

_"Oh, you're the cop? He's a forennie anapologist! Your guy, he knows my ex!" He leans his arms on Booth's shoulder and whispered "I don't think he's fucked her yet though...itsashame."_

_"Stop. You talking about Dr. Temperance Brennan?"_

_"Dr. Tempe! Yeah, man! We used to live together, man! Best year of my life. Ha ha!" He raised his hand as if to high five with Booth. I was afraid Booth was going to break it. He just stared the dude._

_"Dr. Brennan is my partner and has been for six years. I know everyone that she's dated and she's never mentioned living with a guy. You've got your facts wrong. Let me take you back to your friends, before I lose my temper." Booth turns the guy around, but like all drunks, this guy suddenly turns into a ton of bricks and is immovable._

_"Your partner? You're the Feeb? Holy shit! You're Andy fucking Lister!" he turns to our tables. "Dudes! Do you know who this is? This guy is famous! Man, I was there when you were born!"_

_Booth stopped, realizing that this guy probably did know Dr. B and from what it sounded like, knew things that he didn't. It was like he was paralyzed._

* * *

Angela sat up. "Ugh, it was Peter."

"I never got his name."

"Six-four? Curly black hair? Glasses? Broad shoulders...?"

"Yup, that's the guy!"

"A physicist. Total douche."

"Yeah, well that was the impression he left...that he was a douche, not that he was a physicist."

"I'm guessing that this didn't end well?"

"Not at all."

* * *

_"Special Agent Alpha. And He Lusted Her. Mr. A-List! Andy Lister! Dude, you were like my relationship's Eli Whitney!"_

_"What the hell are you talking about?"_

_"Eli Whitney? Responsible for the start and the end of the Civil War? Invented the cotton gin? He auto-muh-taated the separation of cotton from the seed, thus negating the need for slave labor. As a result, Lincoln was able to make slavery a moral issue. Started the war. Then, Whitney comes up with inna-changeable parts for guns that only the North has access to. The plurality of munitions available to the North helped them win the war. Whitney started the war and ended it! You're like Whitney, man!"_

_It's always scary when drunks have moments of lucidity. _

_"Well, that's insightful, but how am I like Eli Whitney, Pal?"_

_This guy was swaying by now. This was a trigger to Booth to again try and move him towards the back room._

_"Duuuuuuuuuude, you must have done a number on her on that first case! I had been chasing that skirt for months and she wouldn't give me the time of day. Then she completes a case with you, you guys get into it, and then...BAM! She couldn't get to me fast enough to let all of her hot-hot-hot hostility at you out on me. Thank you, Man! God, that ass. She was the fuck of my life!"_

_"Watch. Your. Mouth." Booth warned. The douchebag hugged him._

_"Sorry, Agent Andy! I love you man! No hard feelings! Seriously, you have no idea the gift you gave me! But then, like a butterfly it was gone." he mimics holding a butterfly in his hand, and then watches said imaginary butterfly fly away. _

_He starts to cry. "We fucked like animals for months. Then, she sees you again after **months** and you spook her all over again. She breaks up with me, kicks me out and takes off to Guat-metallela for two months. You started us and ended us. You're Eli Whitney. What did you do to me, man?"_

* * *

Angela chuckles. With the baby weight, it's like her whole body is quaking. I have to smile.

"Well, he was a douche, but he was always dead on about Bren." Leaning on the side of the chair, she put her head in her hand._ She never touches her face. _She sighed. "When Bren met Booth, it was obvious that she was totally into him, but she would't admit it. And, at the time, she wasn't as, er - developed - in her emotional maturity."

I raised my eyebrows. Dr. B? Less emotionally mature? Phew! "That must have been, uh...scary."

"You have no idea." Angela arched her eyebrow. "She was obviously spun by the strength of her attraction to him, and so when they got into their first fight..."

Huh, the first fight. That must have been something.

"...she kinda reacted poorly. She slapped him. Swore she was never gonna speak to him again. Up to that point, Bren was used to getting her way and you know Booth - he wasn't going to back down from her. Maybe she'd admit it to it now that it turned her on, but so not then. Like I said, he got under her skin. So to protect herself, she started answering Peter's calls."

"She really lived with that guy?"

Angela rolled her eyes. "For almost a year. Peter such was a throwaway guy, just with really good timing. And Bren - well, she decided to make a bigger thing of Peter to prove to us - me and Hodgie - that she hadn't been affected by Booth. But as it was, our awkward and socially inept heroine decided to take up writing during this period, thus revealing to us all that big beautiful heart that she had sewn so meticulously onto her sleeve."

"She wrote _Bred In the Bone_ during this time." I offered.

"Yep, and of course Booth read it. And you know the plot of the book. He tried reaching out to Bren again and when Zack stonewalled him, he started pulling strings with Dr. Goodman and the Jeffersonian board to get her to partner up with him."

"Heh! And the rest, as they say, was history" I added.

Angela huffed out a laugh. "Yes, because_ everything_ is so easy between the two of them, huh Wendell? Not even close. Booth had Dr. Goodman arrange a function celebrating the historical partnership between the FBI and the Jeffersonian and of course Bren was the guest speaker."

"She did guest lectures at schools up and down the east coast on the topic as a Jeffersonian/FBI recruiting effort. That's when I first met her. Not that she would have remembered."

"Yeah, well this shin-dig was a far cry from a bunch of hungover undergrads one-eyeing it through an 80 minute slide show. We were all dressed to the nines and Booth...yum! Her cheeks flushed. I knew that look. "He was sooooooo" she sighed "Boothy. It was obvious that Agent Studly was pulling out the stops to lure B into a partnership, if not his bed." she grinned, looking over her shoulder to check out Booth's ass.

God, she was awesome.

"But Dr. B was still with Peter."

Sighing at the recollection. "Yup, she was with Peter. _Something_ - I don't know what - happened between Bren and Agent Studly that night. I'd like to think it was sexual" she waggled her eyebrows, but then sighed. "But we both know _that _didn't happen. Peter was right when he said that Booth spooked her. That same evening, she broke up with Peter and that next morning, she was on a plane to Guatemala."

"Now that sounds like Dr. B!"

"Yeah. Booth was _pissed_. He thought that he had convinced her to partner up with him again. So when she came back, he had her detained at the airport in an effort until he could convince her to partner up."

"And _that_ sounds like Booth."

Angela smiled. "Star-crossed lovers."

"Intersecting plasma spheres" I countered.

"Brennan has taught you well!" she slapped my arm. Her face changed as she sat back in the chair. "But how does Peter tie to Hannah? And what is it that you never told Booth?

* * *

_Booth had had enough. This guy - Peter - had begun to graphically describe his favorite sexual positions with Dr. B._

_"I said '**enough**'. Do not disrespect my partner." Booth had him by the collar. By this time, some of Peter's friends had begun to notice that the bachelor was missing, and had come out to look for him._

_"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry man! I just wanted to say thanks and congratulations to you man! You're a lucky guy."_

_Booth shoved him towards his buddies. "She's my partner, that's all."_

_Turning around, he looked surprised. "Just your partner, man? You don't know what you're missing! Wow! Hey Guys! __All these years later and Fucking Agent Andy Lister hasn't nailed Doctor Kathy! Ha, ha! You should just do it dude, just bend her over a desk and take her. **I did**. Didn't even care that she was screaming your name. What is it? Boone?"_

_That was it for Peter. Booth's entire body went rigid. He charged Peter and just started pummeling the shit out of him._

...

"Oh my God" Angela covered her mouth. "What an idiot. You don't provoke a pit bull". I snorted.

"Yeah and his friends weren't really helping him. They just kept saying 'not his face! His fiance will kill him if he fucks up the wedding photos'. They tried pulling Booth off of him and well, Booth had come in with his hockey team, so it kinda got messy."

"I can only imagine." Angela blushed. "It must have been so hot."

_Oh Angela._

"Yeah, it was until it wasn't. The owners know that Booth's a cop and a good guy, so they just kicked us out for the night. But Booth...he was on fire. Even though that dude had set him off, I knew that something else had been bothering him. He didn't want to go home, so he and I headed over here for drinks.

"Ahhhh! And that's how he got shit-faced drunk."

"Yeah, he was taking them back pretty hard and fast. So after about six double shots of Scotch, I poured him into a taxi to get him home."

"Was Hannah there?"

"Nope, traveling with the white house press corps. At the time, I thought it would be a good thing that she wasn't around to see him all fucked up, but in the end it only made it worse."

"What do you mean?"

"While getting sauced, Booth told me about the night that Dr. B admitted that she still had feelings for him. It was a few weeks after he told Hannah about it."

I leaned toward Angela to share the next thing. "He started crying, Ange. Saying that he was still in love with Dr. B."

"Whoa."

"Yeah! He said that he wasn't going to leave Hannah because it was the honorable thing to do."

"That sounds familiar."she poked. I reddened, knowing that she was talking about us and the baby scare. "What is it with you Philly boys and honor?"

I defended "Ange, she _had_ picked up her life and moved across the globe to be with him. She loved him and he loved her. I love Dr. B and all, but she had blown him off for six years. Hannah was willing to give Booth love and stability."

"You know who you sound like right now? _Brennan_."

I frowned. "Ange. Booth's a good guy, and up until then, Dr. B had kept him at arm's length. And, Hannah made him happy."

She shifted, well as much as she could. "No. Wendell. Don't you see? Hannah is Booth's 'Peter'. Someone he rushed into a relationship with because he couldn't deal with what was going on with Bren. Sure the sex is great, they get along well enough and they're a couple, but it's not the real thing. He was hiding from who he really should have been with."

Ouch, that was an unexpected blow. Unintentionally, I hit back. "So, Hannah was Booth's 'Peter', I guess that makes me your 'Hannah'?"

She sat back. I winced at the pain on her face. I knew that she never meant to hurt me. "Wendell, "

I had to make this right. _She didn't deserve that._ "No, Ange, it's okay. I was just making a parallel."

"I'm sorry, Wendell."

"No, seriously Ange. I've got no regrets."

She smiled a weak and dubious smile and stroked my hand.

"Besides, I have more of the tale to tell." Cautiously, she nodded for me to continue. "So I get him into the cab, right?"

* * *

Angela leaned forward. She was blown away.

"Wow. That explains why she really turned him down. She was saving him."

"I think so. She loved him enough to know that she wasn't really the one that he was meant to be with."

Angela smiled. "Kinda like you and me huh?"

Huh. "You broke up with _me_, remember?"

"Yes, Wendell, but_ I know_ what you said to Hodgins about me being 'on loan'." I blushed - again.

She continued. "The same applies here. Hannah loved Booth and Booth loved Hannah - that's not up for debate. But she knew better than to let him make a huge, life-altering mistake like accepting his proposal. She turned him down because she knew that Booth was 'on loan'. Wow! I am totally seeing her in a whole new light. "

_Her epiphany from this conversation was not my epiphany._

"So, you loved me?"

She looked at me sweetly and grabbed my hand. "Of course, I loved you, Wendell! I still _do_. It's just that my heart belongs to the bug guy."

I gave Ange the side grin that she loved so much. "You're an amazing woman, Angela."_ My ultimate Bond Girl._

"Tell me something I don't know" she teased. "Now help me up. The little creature's dancing on my bladder."

* * *

_A/N: Yes the gap in the plot line is intentional._


	20. Chapter 20: Un-settling

_4/28/2013_

_A/N: This will be the first of two chapters added today. Enjoy the levity, it's about to get bumpy._

* * *

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

_BOOTH'S POV_

"Holy crap!"

"Parker!" I warned.

"Sorry, Dad...But _look_ at this place!"

I knew exactly what my son was talking about. When the cabs dropped us off at the front of the Connaught hotel – from the outside - it looked like a nice, quiet, understated hotel that just happened to be in a shi-shi Mayfair section of London.

_This ain't nothing like the Beefeater. _This place was ridiculously nice.

The fact that Bug Man was so loaded that he could bankroll our stays without a blink never ceased to blow my mind. Each of the interns was staying in a suite. Daisy & Sweets where holed up in something called the Prince's Lodge.

_Poor Sweets_. His nutbag girlfriend was hopping up and down like a pogo stick as the accommodations were being described by the reservationist. That is the saddest, most pained smile that I've ever seen; the poor kid looked like he was going to hurl. While we had all agreed to meet in Bones' and Cam's suite for lunch later, I was certain that this was the last we'd see of Swaisy until the funeral tomorrow.

Hodgins, Parker and I were staying in the Library suite while Bones & Cam were in a set up called The Apartment. While the both suites were rooftop level, the Apartment was the penthouse suite and on a higher plane than ours, and we had separate entrances. Thank God my kid was with us to use as my excuse - Parker wanted to see where Auntie Cam and Dr. Bones were staying.

We were escorted to their "residence" by their personal butler.

_Butler_.

We headed up a private staircase to a double-door entrance. Some dude's head was engraved into both doors. I had to restrain Parker from grabbing at the engraving, even though I too wanted to touch the intricate relief work. "Relief work", Angela would be so proud of me.

The butler opened the entrance to reveal the mini-palace where Cam and Bones would be.

"Holy crap." I said.

"Daaaaaaaaaaad."

The Apartment was incredible. According to Chloe, _the butler_, the apartment was over 3000 square feet, or 2 ½ times the size of my place in DC. Even though a lot of the hotel looked like James Cameron's version of the Titanic, this place was 100% modern.

Crazy amazing. There was art, real Angela-would-stare-at-this-shit-for-hours-art all over the place. Everything was blue, white or black. Marble fireplace, velvet sofas and chairs, spa-like bathrooms, a dining area for ten...ten people! Parker and I had been sidetracked by one of the paintings in the hallway when out of the corner of my eye, Cam caught my attention. She motioned for me to follow her into her bedroom. Wordlessly she grabbed my hand to bring me to the closet.

Well, it wasn't so much a closet as it was a dressing room the size of my apartment, complete with five actual closet spaces, eight drawers and room for luggage and at least 20 pairs of shoes.

"Wow" I whispered. My oldest friend squeezed my hand while we took in the design of the dressing area. I knew what she was thinking. Cam had lived in apartments since college and had always had a hard time keeping balance between her pragmatism and her love of fashion - especially shoes.

She squeezed my hand tighter. "Seeley, build this for me. Otherwise, I'm not signing off on your relationship status change."

I laughed and kissed the side of Cam's forehead as I brought her into a side hug. "I'm not kidding." she added. I believed her.

"Dad, they have a balcony!" Parker was calling from…somewhere. I released my friend as she walked forward to look out the window behind the dressing table.

"I'm never leaving." She mumbled as I left in search of my child.

Using the windows as my guide, I followed a path toward a natural entrance to the balcony. There I found Parker and Bones looking out on the city.

"Parker, look over there. You can see Hyde Park and further west of it, Kensington Gardens. From here, you can just about see Kensington Palace."

"I've been there, Dr. Bones. With my mom, the last time we came here. She wanted to go because that's where the princess lived. We took the Tube there and we had stayed at a hotel in the city London proper. It had a view of London Bridge. It was so cool." Parker shared, all with one breath.

"Well, I imagine that you may have a view of it from your room as London Bridge is Southeast of the hotel. We'll have to inspect your view when we go to your room."

"Awesome. I can tell that we're further from the bridge but closer to Kensington than last time."

Huh. My boy never ceases to surprise me. The last time that I was in England; I couldn't wait to go home. Even though I had developed a liking for the pubs and the sights and – how could I forget the lovely Inspector Pritchard – England was not my "cuppa joe". Get me back to Dunkin Donuts, left-side steering wheel and right side driving, apple pie and football – American football. But here was my son, an excited, seasoned traveler at age 10.

Parker stepped up onto the base of the rail and leaned out further, pointing. "I think the London Zoo is north of us Bones!"

Before I could caution him, Bones was already in motion, gently pulling him back, slipping an arm around his waist. "Be careful Parker! While I am confident that the tensile strength of the railing will suffice in sustainment of your weight, I cannot express the depth to which the precariousness of your actions put your father and me ill at ease."

Parker placed his hand on Bones arm, looking back and forth between me and Bones. "I don't know what that means."

I chuckled as I approached the pair. I picked up my son to rest him on my left hip. _He was getting so big. _"What that means is that Bones and I want you to be careful, Bub! We don't want you to fall." Bones and I exchanged a look, recalling a less jovial time on a balcony.

Parker placed his head on my shoulder while he motioned for Bones to take his left hand. I watched her take his hand, uncertain of how to behave at his gesture. While this may be new territory for the both of us, I never worried about Bones with Parker. She observed curiously as Parker rubbed her hand. "I'm sorry Bones. I didn't mean to scare you." He muffled his words into his arm as he spoke. He may only be ten, but he can lay on the puppy dog charm like a veteran.

I watched her eyes soften at the apology.

_God she could kill me with her eyes_. Evidently, Parker could kill her with his words.

"It's okay, Parker. I just want you to be safe." He lunged out of my arms into hers. She stumbled slightly by the hug before negotiating the balance of his weight. "Whoa!" she laughed. "You have grown significantly, Parker! I must let you down!"

Parker continued to hold onto Bones, head and arms to her waist as he puppy dog peered at her. _I knew what was coming_. "Do you think we can go to the zoo together Dr. Bones?"

"Dr. Brennan? Doctors Hodgins and Saroyan have requested a word in the study."

"Yes, of course, Chloe, one second, please. Parker, I asked your father if it was okay for you to join us on this trip, and I fully expect that you will have equivalent decision rights in our itinerary. Although traditionally I am not a strong proponent of zoos, I am aware of the impressive strides that the London Zoo has made to pioneer animal preservation and conservation initiatives. I believe a visit to the zoo would be an enriching experience for each of us." She hugged Parker into her body and then turned to Chloe. _The butler._

"I will lead the way. Agent and Master Booth, do you require anything at this time?"

"No thank you, Chloe we're fine."

_Crazy. A butler, a female butler. _

We watched as Chloe and Bones exited. I looked down at my snickering son.

"What's so funny, Bub?"

"Nothing."

"C'mon, tell your old man!" I put him in a headlock. _Works every time._

He looked toward Chloe and Bones, worried. "You'll get mad…"

Well, this was concerning. "Parker, I hope you're not laughing at Chloe. She's doing her job. You should be respectful."

My kid rolled his eyes at me. "No Dad, Chloe's cool. But did you hear what she said? She called me Master Booth!"

"And that's funny? Is Master Booth a rapper or something?"_ Jesus, I was getting old._

My kid rolled his eyes at me – again. "No Daaaaaaaad. I was just thinking that it would be funny if our last name was 'Bates'"

I loved this kid. I bear hugged him into me, both of us cracking up. He was definitely growing up. Or, maybe I was ten too.

"Dad?"

"Yeah, Parks?"

"Did Dr. Bones say 'yes' to going to the zoo? I couldn't tell."

* * *

_BRENNAN'S POV_

_"Dr. Saroyan?"_

I had arrived to the study where I found Cam and Hodgins grinning at each other. I was curious of the nature of their clandestine intercourse.

"Ah! Doctor Brennan!" Hodgins and I were just regaling at this gorgeous hotel that you've selected. It's – it's incredible. Thank you for your generosity."

"Yes, of course. My publisher introduced me to the Connaught during my last European tour. I will never stay anywhere else when in London. I'm hopeful that the team will also enjoy the accommodations. Again, please don't mention any of this to Booth." I watched as Cam, Hodgins and Chloe nodded in agreement.

"I have no doubt, that the team will enjoy the accommodations, Dr. B." Hodgins smiled at me. "Daisy thinks that she and Sweets are on their honeymoon."

I was confused. "No that would be foolish of Daisy to believe, and she is not a fool. They have not exchanged vows and license of matrimony, Dr. Hodgins" his eyes softened while he sighed. "Oh…too literal?"

"Too literal, yes."

"It is your intention to convey that their room has amenities similar to that of a honeymoon suite. Well, I do suppose that this hotel has many romantic features." I turned to Chloe.

"Yes, Dr. Brennan. We are proud to be host to many a wedding and civil partnership celebration here at the Connaught. We are also close to Farm Street Church, where many couples have proper religious ceremonies before having their wedding receptions here."

"Yes, it is a beautiful Jesuit church. I visited it on my last stay."

"_You_ went to _church_, Dr. Brennan?" Cam looked at me in surprise. I did not take offense as logically, my atheism would suggest a lack of interest in such an endeavor.

"Yes. Booth has taught me that while I may not believe in the Jesus myth, that I can at least appreciate the significance that religion and worship has on formed and forming cultures. I have also discovered that Roman Catholic churches feature artistry that is quite beautiful."

"Wow, I can't believe that Seeley got you to go church on your own."

"Booth has taught me many things." While I'm certain that my expression was without animation, I could feel a tingle low in my abdomen, distracted with thought of some of the recent lessons that Booth had delivered. _Heh heh_. I noted that I was becoming more comfortable in the construction of metaphoric inner dialogue

"Yeah, about you and Booth…" Hodgins started.

"What about me and Bones?" Booth and Parker had entered the room. Cam looked at Hodgins and then at the three of us.

"Cam and I were thinking that the three of you should take the Apartment and that she and I will take the Terrace."

"What?" Booth and I asked in unison. Parker exclaimed, "cool!"

Booth and I stared at each other. While I was quite excited about the prospect of sharing a residence sooner with Booth, it didn't seem to be the culturally appropriate action to take given our decision to delay disclosing the new romantic aspects of our partnership to anyone else.

Through the course of our partnership, we had each learned to defer leadership to the other in situations where one had a higher degree of expertise or motivating opinion than the other on a specific topic. As Booth had requested further discretion related to our relationship, I allowed him to take the lead.

"Chloe? Would you mind giving Parker a tour of the rest of the Apartment? I'd like to have a word with the doctors here!" _And that's why,_ I would have neglected to excuse Parker from the rest of this discussion.

"Of course, Sir. Very good. Parker, let's begin at the rear of the residence and work our way forward, shall we?"

"Okay!" Cheerfully, Parker took Chloe's hand. As the duo exited, we all could hear his whisper "You know they're just going to talk grown up stuff right? I think Auntie Cam and Dr. Hodgins are in trouble!"

The remainder of us in the room chuckled momentarily at Parker's precocity. In spite of their less-than-ideal domestic circumstances, it was obvious all of us that Rebecca and Booth had raised a fine boy. A boy who I had come to consider as much my family as was Booth. Booth turned towards Cam and Hodgins, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows.

"Seeley, Hodgins and I are both leaving on Monday morning while you and Dr. Brennan are here until Wednesday. It just makes sense for us to switch."

_Interesting._ I would not have thought to initiate my defense to Booth with the approach of pragmatic reasoning. I would have begun by stating that sharing the same residence would tremendously improve opportunities for us to fornicate. I'm curious to see Booth's reaction to Cam's approach.

He uncrosses his arms and places them akimbo. Although his stance still conveys distrust, I believe that Sweets would characterize Booth's stature as tolerant.

Dr. Saroyan counters his stance with closed arms. I believe that she is demonstrating adamancy. I'm very impressed with Dr. Saroyan's ability to pick up on Booth's cues simply by tone. I must also admit that I'm a tad jealous that Booth's meta-communicative skills are as well-honed with Dr. Saroyan as they are with me. I rationalize that the tenure of Booth's relationship with Cam contributes to the equivalency, and that Booth's dedication to honing our interplay is analogous to an arithmetic versus an exponential progression. I am comforted by the prospect of surpassing Dr. Saroyan in another way. Booth continues his silence as a staring challenge ensues.

Booth proves victor as Cam looks at Hodgins to solicit support. "Cam…" Booth warns.

Hodgins steps into Booth's sight line. "Dude. _I know._ I'm married to Angela. Of course she told me about you and Dr. B."

Booth turns to me. I am hopeful that my posture conveys innocence. His hands fly up in the air. I am aware of this expression – aggravation. "Well, I don't want anyone else finding out, guys! We're less than a week into this – "

"Well, actually Wendell knows." Hodgins refuses to make eye contact with either of us.

"What?" again Booth and I exclaim in unison. Cam joins in as well.

I am now certain that Booth will be upset with me if…."H- how did he find out?" I ask. I am nervous that if the answer is' Angela', that Booth may withhold sexual advances on me as a punishment by association.

"Fisher."

"Fisher?!"

I am now concerned about Booth's physical state. Given the limitations of circulation during flight, combined with lack of hydration, any sign of breathing and an obvious spike to his blood pressure, I worry that he may have a stroke.

"Uh, yeah. He caught you two making out like teenagers at the Founding Fathers. On film."

_Oh God._ Booth and I share a look. Perhaps we were not as stealth as we believed we had been.

While I know from the pained look on his face that Booth is not pleased, I must confess that I'm curious of what Fisher was able to film. _I have never been filmed engaged in amorous acts before_….I should not think about that right now. Booth is upset.

Dr. Saroyan began to giggle. She should have more regard for the condition of her friend. I shoot her a stern look which seems only to exacerbate her laughter.

"Jesus! Does anyone _not_ know about us? Oh God! _Does Sweets know_?"

Although we really hadn't had much time yet to discuss "us", we had specifically discussed "breaking the news" to Parker and Sweets. We agreed that it would be important to sit them down to explain the change in our relationship, and the impact it would have on each of them. In retrospect, I find it interesting that our strategy to inform Parker and Sweets was the same.

"No one else knows. Fisher told Wendell, and Wendell only told Angela because of the pool. He and Fisher are sworn to secrecy."

"Jesus, another fucking pool!?" he hissed quietly, keeping his voice low for Parker.

"What does swimming have to do with in anything?" I inquired.

At my question, Booth laughed. While I was relieved that his ire had subsided, I really disliked that he had information about us to which I had not been privy. Knowing this, he came over to me, placing my hands into his. Rubbing my hands much like Parker had done earlier, he pulled me close toward his body. Although a relatively innocent gesture, Booth's demonstration of affection in front of Doctors Hodgins and Saroyan was unexpectedly thrilling.

"Bones, over the years, folks have organized several wagers about us."

"What about us?"

"Wagers on when you and I would become a couple."

Surprised, I looked at Cam and Hodgins. Hodgins shrugged his shoulders. "It's kind of been an inevitability, Dr. B."

"We are not an inevitability." I defended. "There are hundreds of thousands of variables that could derail Booth and me from being together. Death, sexual incompatibility, issues related to religion, money, politics! Relocation, hobbies, conflicting toilet paper roll preferences…"

"Huh? Toilet paper?" I had disoriented Dr. Hodgins with my last response.

"Ohhhhhh, that's a big one Hodgins!" Cam interjected. "Which way the roll goes is what finally broke up Al and Tipper." I _believe_ she was being sarcastic, but as I was unaware of what had actually caused the Gore's divorce, I remained silent.

Booth, still holding my hands raised his right hand to cup my face and redirect my focus onto him. He even crowded closer to me and whispered. "We are an inevitability, Bones. The universe wants us to be together. I want us to be together. You want us to be together, right?" By his expression, I detected not only sincerity but also yet another apology about yesterday morning.

I touched his cheek. "I would like that very much as well." He placed a brief, chaste kiss on my lips.

Hodgins cleared his throat. "So, you guys are fine with rooming together?"

I looked at my partner. How curious that his agitation was allayed by the redirection of attention on my agitation. "I think it best to stick with our original plan, Booth. We can consolidate to one residence once everyone else has departed. This will enable us with time to speak with Parker and maybe also Sweets." He shook his head in agreement.

Booth replied "We're going to keep our current plan, Hodgins. It's always my preference to be discreet."

A thought flashed through my mind about Hannah, but I thought it best not to comment about it at this particular moment. Besides…

"Besides" I added "Wouldn't you be concerned about the social implications of you two rooming together?"

"Its 2011, Dr. Brennan. I have platonic female friends, you being one of them. Plus, Cam's with Paul? I have a pregnant wife waiting for me at home….?"

"Yes, but it wouldn't be the first time that Dr. Saroyan had sex with one of Angela's husbands, perhaps it's a pattern."

"Bones!" Booth snapped at me. I noted also Dr. Hodgins' giggle while Cam seemed to be praying. _How am I to interpret and understand social cues when the three of them had each reacted so differently to my one sentence?_

Needing to respond to the one who had addressed me directly, I continued "What? Cam has demonstrated that she tends to select sexual partners based upon their accessibility to her – her daughter's gynecologist, Angela's ex husband…_you._ Rooming with Hodgins would allow an ideal opportunity for sex. If things don't work out with Paul, I would argue that it's an inevitability that Cam's chosen mate will be someone who works at the Jeffersonian."

"Bones! Out of line. Waaaaaaay out of line!"

Dr. Hodgins really did have a pleasing giggle, but I was without understanding. If he was laughing, why was Booth so upset?

"What?"


	21. Chapter 21: Family Business

_4/29/2013_

_A/N: This is the second of two chapters added today. Enjoy the levity, it's about to get bumpy._

* * *

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

"What are you doing Dr. Bones? Is that a black light?"

From across the bedroom, I turn to see my partner shining her UV light on the bedspread.

_Uh Oh._

"Yes, Parker. It's also known as a UV light source."

I hear the line connect as the phone begins to ring.

"What are you doing with it?"

_Oh God. _

I motion to get Bones' attention. _Please, Bones! Don't…._

"I'm looking to detect the presence of bodily fluids on the sheets, Parker. Ideally, you don't want to find any. I must say that these linens have been very thoroughly laundered."

_No, no, no..._

"Ewwwww! What kind of body fluids, Dr. Bones?"

"Bones, no!" I warned, dashing over to stop my partner.

_Why is this room so big?_ When I get to her, Bones dodges me as I try to swat the light out of her hand.

I hear a click on the line. "Hello?"

She continues on to Parker. "Blood, urine, semen…vagi-"

"Hey Parks, catch!" I throw the phone toward my son as I grab Bones from behind to trap her mouth from speaking. "Parks, talk to your Mom for a sec, huh?"

Instinctively, Bones heels into top of my foot and jabs me in the gut with her elbow.

"Oooof! Bones! My foot!" I begin to hop around the bed in agony.

"Hi Mom, we're here!" I hear Parker say as I reach for my throbbing foot.

Bones inhales a hiss with concern. "Sorry Booth! You shouldn't have grabbed me like that! Oh gee! Are you injured? I believe that I placed the full force of my weight between your proximal phalanges and metatarsals…" She tries to stop me from writhing around on the bed so that she can look at my foot.

_Jesus, this hurts like a motherfucker! _She knows how sensitive my...

"Yeah, Mom. This is Doctor Bones' phone. She is here in our room, too. She and Dad are on the bed. She's making sure that there aren't any bodily fluids."

"Parker!" I cut in, squealing slightly.

It's amazing how quickly terror can dilute pain. "Let me talk to your Mom!" Again, I swat Bones' hands away while I test putting weight on my foot. _Phew._ The pain is subsiding_. I have a feeling that I'm not going to survive this trip._

"Rebecca, hey!"

"Really, Seeley? Fooling around on the bed with Dr. Brennan in front of your son? This was not what I had in mind when I said the two of you need to have the talk.…"

"Becks, please! That is so not what is happening! You know Bones – she's black lighting the bed sheets…." I whispered.

Turning back towards my partner and son, I warn them both. "No more bodily fluid talk!"

The pair stare back at me blankly, though I think I can see a twinkle in Parker's eye. I sigh, walking out of the room to speak to the mother of my son.

...

While the Apartment was a really nice place, I liked the Library suite as it was decorated more for a guy's taste, _plus no butler. Very Bruce Wayne without Alfred._ Feet kicked up on the sofa in the Library's** library**, I finished my call with Becks.

I looked at the screen of Bones' phone. I borrowed it because I didn't have time to change my mobile plan to international before we left. The screen defaulted to the Recent Calls screen.

_What the Hell?_

Apparently almost every woman that I had slept with in the past six years had recently called or was called by Bones. Granted, I had called Rebecca, but her number was already in Bones' phone. Bones's call list read like my little black book – if I ever had one. Becks, Cam, Pritch….Hannah?

_Sigh_. Hannah.

* * *

_Bones laughed. She chuckled, snorted, snickered, huffed, hooted, howled and cackled. I had never heard her giggle. Seven years I have known this woman, and two days ago, for the first time, I heard my partner giggle and it was adorable._

_What an incredible sound it was. Bones giggling because she was happy. Happy to be with me. When she giggled, she sounded young, full of joy, and free of the burden of knowing the abuse, violence and death we see every day._

_**I want to make her giggle every day. **_

_Max had just left Bones' apartment. While I'm pretty certain that he was onto us, my highly literal partner had not picked up on his shaving kit trap._

_I wasn't going to tell her. I want to be that guy. If we do this right - when the right time comes - I want to be the guy that Tempe gushes about to Max. I want her to tell Max that she loves me and wants to be with me. I want to be the man that she defends to Max. I want to be the man that makes Max a grandfather._

**_But for now, I just want to make her giggle._**

_Turning from her front door back towards her, I leer at her. My stare at her obviously bothers her - in a good way. _

_I begin to stalk towards her. "Dr. Brennan, I'm glad your Daddy's gone. I hope he hurries up out of earshot. I am about to do unspeakable things to you."_

_I pull off my t-shirt and throw it...wherever._

_Bones correctly interprets my tone. I watch her blue oceans flash as she begins to walk backwards at the same pace of my stalk. The curl of her lip becomes more pronounced with each step._

_I unbuckle and remove my belt. My jeans slide down so that Bones cans see the points of my pelvis. Her mouth parts and she absent-mindedly strokes from the hollow of her neck down her chest. Her heavy-lidded eyes drop further to my crotch. Her blues blaze again in recognition that I'm already hard for her. She laughs nervously._

_She knows me. _

_I've manhandled her enough through the years that she knows what I can do to her, how quickly that I can grab her up. She's seen me fight and defend her, she knows the power that I can unleash. She's tasted me; she knows what it is to have me buried between her legs. She's felt me against her, almost inside her. I know she will give into me when I take her, in every way I will take her._

_I know her. She wants it all._

_I repeat, my voice a little lower, a little hungrier. "Unspeakable. Things."_

_Her chest begins to heave in baited anticipation of when I choose to catch her. She is two steps from her kitchen island when I pounce._

_She squeals in delight as I grab her into me, placing one hand on her waist and one on her ass._

_She entwines her leg around mine to press me into her. I slide my hand from her cheek to in between her legs to thrum lightly against her heat. _

_"Oh Booth" she coos. I nuzzle my head into her neck. She smells amazing. Cucumbers in her hair, vanilla and Bones all over her body. I suckle at her neck. I can feel her standing leg begin to buckle. I don't think she knows that she's whimpering._

_I want to drown in this woman._

_I hoist Bones up onto her counter. She giggles as she locks me between her legs._

_Squeals, giggles.** I love this.**_

_I smile at her as she cups my face in her hands. Her soft fingers outline the hard lines of my face. She traces my lips with her forefinger, giggling more as I snake nip at it. Up my hands slide under the back of her tank to unclasp her bra as she pecks open mouth kisses on my lips. She is enjoying the noise of our mouths smacking together. Her fingers come to rest at my temples. She brushes my brows with her thumbs as she fans her hands through my hair. I watch her look at me, aware that I have seen her hold hundreds of skulls in this way. In their honor, I am privileged to be held by her._

_She Mona Lisa smiles at me. I watch the soft expressiveness of her eyes as she whispers "you are so beautiful Booth"._

_I slip her tank and bra off of her shoulders. I drag my fingers nail-side down her arms, since I already knows she likes it. I feel and hear her shudder at my actions. I kiss into her cleavage, Bones arching into my touch, coaxing me to bite and nip at her full and soft peaks. She exhales softly a hum. I comb through her hair with my fingers, dragging my hand against her cheek and neck, down her chest and back up her neck. I let my fingers draw patterns in the splash of freckles on her neck and chest._

**_Gorgeous._**

_I have to tease. "Don't you mean that my features are symmetrical? And that I am the most impressive specimen that you've seen…."_

_She shut me up with a kiss. Her full lips ensnared my mouth. I moan at the trance that the rhythm of her lips and mouth created. This time it was my legs that buckled as I leaned into her body to keep from slipping. The action incited her to slip her hands down my jeans._

_"Enough about aesthetics, Booth. I want you to initiate your efforts of debauchery"._

**_Done and done. _**

_I picked her up, anchoring my hands at her ass as she clung to me around my neck and waist. Off we stumbled toward the bedroom hallway, kissing, groping and laughing, until Bones halted my forward progress by pressing either arm against the wall._

_"Condoms. I left them on the kitchen counter, Booth." _

_I looked at my lady. Apology and agony pained her face. I kissed her briefly as I adjusted her in my arms. __I debated my options. Throw Bones on the bed and then run to get the condoms or carry Bones back and forth with me to the kitchen to get the condoms. Normally the decision would have been clearer, but the feeling of her grinding against my crotch was incredible. I decided to go for the quick throw._

_I stood and watched the effects of again throwing my half naked partner to bed for a quick second before I stole off towards the kitchen. Sliding to and fro across the kitchen, I was in the hallway when the house phone rings._

_**Why does Bones still have a house phone?** _

_Darting back into the bedroom, I can see my beauty reaching to see the call details. I grab her wrists, stretching them above her head, pressing her back onto the bed._

_"Do. Not. Even. Think. About. It. Okay?" I warned._

_Her eyes dilated as she shook her head in obedience. She was hot for being restrained. I could feel her arching up so that her chest could press further into mine. I could feel her taught nipples circling against mine. I crushed my mouth on hers as the voice mail announced the message._

_"Temperance, hi! It's Hannah. Listen, I wanted to share my condolences about the loss of your intern, and thank you for agreeing to…."_

_Everything stopped. _

_I have had this feeling before. Wind knocked out of me, feeling paralyzed. The deafening sound of a train pulsing through my ears._

_I blinked continuously as if blinking could clear away the disorientation that I was feeling. Bones sat up with me trying to shake me out of this shell shock._

**_I was vibrating with anger._**

_I think that Bones tried to explain the interview to me._

_ I think that she questioned why I was so upset._

_ I think I accused Bones of betraying me. _

_I know that I found my t-shirt and sneakers on the way out of her apartment._

_ I know that I scared her, I made Bones cry._

_And I know that I left her._

* * *

_**Idiot.**_

___I took off from Bones' apartment, taking the Metro over to Federal Triangle. Walking the mall had always helped me to clear my head._

_What the hell was wrong with me? I had just stormed out on the woman I love because she had received a phone call from an ex of mine._

**_ A fucking phone call!_**

_Bones had been right – she was just doing her job and so was Hannah. _

_I had no right to do what I did - try and bully Bones from fulfilling her professional responsibilities. God, I never wanted her to see this side of me, this temper, this part of me that is like my father. The anger, the loss of control, the meanness._

_I knew how strongly abandonment played into Bones' fragility and what had I done? I walked out on her, stripping her of any control of the situation and feeling guilty about being left. She's just lost Vincent. She loves me. She's vulnerable and trying and...shit, shit, shit! _

**_Christ, if I have fucked this up before we even get started…_**

_...And why was I still pissed off about Hannah? I wasn't in love with her, she wasn't in my life. Only Bones mattered. Bones had always been the one. And yet because of Hannah, I left Bones crying, sickly pleased with myself that I made her feel like garbage._

_Sigh, I can hear Sweets and Gordon Gordon in my head. This isn't about Hannah or Bones. It's me._

**_I need to make this right._**

_I needed to get moving on making this right. __It was relatively early still but the morning traffic was beginning to pick up.__ I knew I had to apologize, and with Vincent's memorial lunch, I had to hurry. I hopped back on the Metro, prepared with my proverbial hat in hand._

_Standing in front of her door, I tried to pull it together._

_ I couldn't get the words wrong this time. I needed for her to understand completely. __There were so many things that I had needed to say. I needed to explain my behavior and apologize for my actions. My only goal was to ensure that would forgive me and knew that I would never leave her._

_I heard her coming to the door and checking the peep hole. I got a little worried that when she delayed opening the door._

_"I'm here to apologize." I said loud enough to be heard but quiet enough to not disturb the neighbors. I could sense the inner debate playing out on the other side of the door._

_**Good job, Booth.** I muttered to myself. What ever hell she was planning to unleash on me, I was prepared to take._

_Finally, I heard a deep sigh on the other side of the door and the lock was dislodged. The door opened as she stared at me._

_"Come in, Seeley."_


	22. Chapter 22: Rearview Mirror

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

05/13/2013. A/N: Now that the chaos of Season Eight is dissipating, it's time to get back to the fantasy of "the old days." Where we left off, The Scooby Gang is in London for VNM's funeral and Booth is flashing back to the morning of the day prior, when he had stormed out, crotchety because Brennan was going to do a interview with Hannah. And, scene:

* * *

_Why are you here, Seeley?_

"Hey" he stared at me, tentative, standing still even though I had invited him in.

_Finally, _he steps toward me – what do we do? Kiss? Shake hands? Hug? Nothing? Neither of us seemed sure of the ex-who-dumps-you-for-refusing-his-marriage-proposa l-stops-by-for-an-unexpected-visit protocol. He looks as unexcited about this greeting as I feel.

Awkwardly and simultaneously, we decided on the safety of a superficial hug. _I have to_ – I inhale to smell him.

_Sigh! _

He still smells amazing. Woody, minty, Seeley, and something….vanilla?

_Temperance._

_Guess that answers my first question. _

_Deep breath, Burley. You can do this_.

"Please," I encourage, directing him "come in."

He continues in. His shoulders are hunched, he looks really uncomfortable. I've never seen Seeley Booth lack confidence in anything he does.

"Thank you." He replies politely.

_Politely. _

We had never been polite. We were absolutely not being polite when he took me – twice - in a blind alcove at Statuary Hall during a Press Corps function. We were not being polite when –

"Wow! This place is incredible, Han!"

He was surveying my apartment. _It was incredible. Open floor plan, floor to ceiling windows on three sides._ Views of the Capitol, the Washington monument, the most gorgeous sofa in the world that I rarely had the chance to sit on….

_Seeley, why are you here?_

He turned to look at me, mouth agape, preemptively surprised at the answer I had not yet given. "I'm assuming that you didn't get this place furnished?"

I laughed. "Yes, Seeley. I own furniture. That sofa. Those lamps. That end table". I pointed at the table that he was standing next to. "It's totally weird, right?"

With two knuckles, he knocked on the end table pivoting back towards me. I reached for the back of my slipper chair, gesturing for Seeley to sit on the sofa. I sat too, watching my ex settle into my couch.

"Jesus, this thing's like a hug!" he marveled. "I take it the show is going well?"

"Yes!" I gushed, relaxing a little. "I'm leading all news programs in my time slot. I'm locked in for three years _and_ I get to pick six special assignments a year. It's an incredible opportunity."

"Success looks good on you Hannah." he smiled but his tone had turned serious.

In that one fleeting moment, I wondered how many times he used my ambition as the excuse for why we didn't work out. Seeley was a lovely man, but he had crazy blind spots when it came to his heart.

He sat forward toward the edge of the sofa. "Seriously, Hannah you look good. Really, you look … great. I'm happy that things are working out for you."

"Thanks Seeley. You look _(adorable, sexy, fuckable_)... tired." _…We weren't together anymore, why should I lie?_

He huffed at my comment, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, it's kind of been a rough week…"

_God, I can be obtuse._ _Vincent._

"Uh, yeah." I started. "I have heard about your case. I'm so sorry Seeley."

His eyes saddened as he nodded his appreciation – no words.

Silent Seeley was not someone I knew well. For most of our relationship, Seeley had been a waterfall of words. We would have marathon sex for hours and afterwards, I'd be exhausted and spent and Seeley would tease and talk me to sleep. As soon as the sun rose, he'd pepper me with kisses, stories or questions – not that I was complaining, but it got to the point where I would only watch movies that I had already seen with him because he wouldn't shut up. We were always in motion.

I loved it.

Happy, chatty and cheery Seeley was the man that I had known and loved. In retrospect, I recognize that the man that I loved was always "on" when he was with me. Seeley never wanted a breath to think when he was with me, he just wanted to hurry us along to that next conversation, meal or fuck. He treated me like he treated his child – everything was always great, there was never anything to worry about. We flew through our relationship on a magic carpet of denial.

The first time he stopped talking was _that_ night. I didn't get to meet Silent Seeley until I refused his proposal. But it wasn't like the façade of our relationship happened that night. I had fallen off the carpet weeks earlier.  
_  
Seeley, why are you here? _

Not comfortable at all with the silence, I continued. "I-, I'm uh…interviewing Temperance about what happened for my show." He continued to stare blankly at me. Nervously, I laugh "but I'm sure you knew that" I suggested.

He shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, yeah - Bones told me. Well, I- uh...I heard it on Bones' answering machine this morning."

My eyes cut to the time on the clock - 10:18. I had left that message about an hour and a half ago - around a quarter to nine – _kind of early_.

Seeley sensed that I was calculating the implications of the early hour in my head and interrupted. "Hannah, Bones and I - we're trying to make a go of it."

"Oh." I let out a deep breath. I felt my shoulders relax at his disclosure.

I continued. "I know how Temperance feels about you….and how _you_ feel about her. It's – nice – to hear that you guys are….I'm happy for you." I hope he can detect my sincerity.

Seeley didn't know if he should look more surprised or appreciative of my statement. His forehead was in a thousand knots and I'm pretty sure I could toss a whole apple in his mouth right now. He was speechless, so I continued.

"Is that why you're here, Seeley? To let me know that we're really-really done? Trust me, it's okay. I've moved on. I'm seeing someone, too."

He was studying me. It was obvious that he had not expected me to be so supportive, so calm, so under-affected by his news. I waited for him to catch up and recalibrate his objectives for this visit, but it was obvious that he was slightly thrown.

"Uh, no. Well, yeah I'm here about us, but not about me and Bones. Well – maybe I am…." He began to click his dice together in his right hand. It never failed - I never noticed when those things escaped his pocket. "I'm glad to hear that you've found someone, Han – you're a great girl. You deserve to be happy."

"Thank you, Seeley." I waited.

_Why are you here?_

He shifted to angle his body toward me.

_Now we're getting somewhere._

"When I heard your voice on Bones' machine this morning, I was angry. I got mad at Bones for keeping in contact with you-"

"Seeley, we haven't stayed in touch. I was shocked when my producer said that Temperance would only let me do the interview."

He interrupted me "that's what Bones said too. But it didn't matter. Hannah – since we broke up - every time someone has mentioned your name to me, I just get so angry. When you said no-"

"Seeley – I couldn't marry you…."

"I know Hannah. _I knew. That night, _I was pushing for something that neither of us really wanted. I know I made you feel like the bad guy. I'm sorry for what I did to you."

_Whoa._

"I um, I've been walking the mall this morning trying to figure this out, why I'm still so angry with you."

_Just what I need, an extended replay of our breakup. _I sighed, deciding to give him a short leash.

_"_What I realize is that I've been angry at myself. I never should have asked you to marry me, Hannah. I knew how you felt but I just ignored it. I ignored a lot of things." He confessed.

I could feel my entire body blushing at his words.

"My proposal – I should have never proposed to you, Han. That's not what we were about, and I knew it. But Bones, when she said what she said to me – I felt like….Well, it kinda threw me for a loop."

I took a deep breath. I couldn't believe that he was actually about to admit it to me…_finally._ He stared at the dice in his palm.

"Before we took our break, before Afghanistan, Bones had turned me down when I asked to give us a try." He began to rotate the dice in his hand. "I told her that I was going to, that I had to move on. I couldn't believe my luck when I met you." He smiled weakly at me.

I smiled back. I remembered the day that I met Sergeant Major Seeley Booth, the day he rescued and arrested me. He was gorgeous, so confident and obviously intrigued with me. I couldn't get enough of him and he certainly let himself get lost in me. All that time, I thought he was escaping his thoughts of the war. Now I know he was drinking me in to escape Temperance. I should never have followed him here.

He shifted on the sofa. "The way I shut down on you after you rejected my proposal, I was wrong Hannah. I shouldn't have done that to you. That, _that_ was my father. That's how he treated my mom. " he whispered.

It felt weird to finally be having an honest conversation with this man.

"Seeley- " I wanted to console him, but he continued.

"All you ever did was love me Hannah. You didn't deserve how I treated you that night. It was a shitty thing to do. You didn't deserve how I treated you that night or how I treated you during our entire relationship."

"Seeley – you were always good to me. You were sweet and fun and loving…"

"And I did love you, Hannah. But I wasn't - myself. I wasn't me. I wasn't truthful about who I was when we first met and I never corrected that. I never let you in to see all of me, I never gave you all of me."

"I know Seeley." I sighed. "I know now. You and Temperance – you guys already had a life together. You just needed me to fill in where she wasn't…and that's what I did."

He winced at my words, but didn't object to them.

"I have to take some responsibility too. Me moving here – it put you in an awkward position. I see that now. But when I got here, you liked the role that I played in your life, and I liked the role you played in mine. In that way, we were very good together."

I moved next to him on the sofa, grabbing his free hand. "Seeley, we have similar jobs. We both uncover things about people that they don't want revealed. It's no surprise that neither of us want to deal with our own bullshit when we get home. We needed our relationship to be light and easy."

"But then, I tried to force it to be something more." He mused, staring at our joined hands.

"Yes. I knew that you were not over Temperance, Seeley. I couldn't say yes to you. Even if you couldn't see it, I couldn't do that to us…or to Temperance. I knew you loved her more than you loved me."

His eyebrows raised, the implications of my words and my actions dawning on him. "So, you took the hit for me. You turned me down. You let me rage against you."

I took a deep breath, nodding at him. His eyes softened, welling up a bit with tears at the realization. "I'm so sorry Hannah."

God, I never thought I'd see Seeley Booth cry once, let alone twice. Way to go Burley, _the Barbara Walters of your generation_. "It's alright Seeley." I whispered.

We held hands, silently letting our shared past come into new light. For me, I felt a burden lifting from our time together, but from his face….A look of worry struck his face. "Hannah, me and Bones….I never cheated on you. I would never…."

"_I know_, Seeley." I laughed. "You're an _honorable_ man."

He stared at me knotting his forehead. My words were triggering a memory that he could not place.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the clock. I needed to leave for the studio soon. As much I appreciated this visit, his apology our clearing of the air, my team was chasing down the latest on the IMF Chief debacle and I had also not been satisfied with our recent coverage of the Navy Seal Team 6. Maybe I was a control freak, but I needed to head out soon.

"Wendell never told you, did he?" his face knotted even further. I turned toward him, my knee bending onto the sofa cushion. With my free hand, I pulled my hair behind my ear.

"Wendell? What are you talking about? Tell me _what?" _ It was obvious that what I was about to share with him was something about which he had zero recollection. He looked worried and a little scared. Temperance had told me about his memory loss a few years ago, and I knew that's what he was thinking about too.

"It was just after you got the soft cast off your arm from that explosion, do you remember?" He nodded slowly. "Do you remember the night that you and Wendell got into that fight with the drunk in the bar? You guys, well _you_ were really drunk. And you drunk dialed Temperance."

I watched his lovely face cycle through recognition, confusion and disbelief. "What? I never…"

"Well, you had intended to call Temperance, but you called my number by mistake." More confusion and then…_there it was_…the horror.

I continued "You thought you were leaving a message for Temperance. You told her that you were still in love with her and that you were sorry that you hurt her."

He pulled his hand from mine. He stood, walking towards the window. "You told her that you loved me, too. And that I had changed my life for you; that staying with me was the right thing – the honorable thing – to do. You said that you could be happy with me."

He turned towards me. For the second time today, I saw his eyes full with tears. So were mine.

Sighing, I continued. "You said a lot of other things too. About cases that you had worked together, her mom, your brain tumor? Someone named Zach. Lots of things that I didn't know about. But you were definitely pretty drunk. I guess Wendell had figured out what you did and he intercepted me before I saw or talked to you when I came home, he convinced me that you loved me and he begged me to forget the call."

Tears were falling freely from his face now, in full realization of the last weeks of our relationship. "We were never together again after your trip."

"No." I felt the burn of my own tears against my face. "I tried, you know? And I thought that with a little breather on our sex life, that maybe we'd have time to really get to know each other and actually make it work, but then…"

"But then I proposed."

"_But then you proposed." _In retrospect, I had realized that by pulling away from him physically, he became even more desperate to prove that he could move on from Temperance. I was no one's 'Plan B'. "I loved you Seeley, but it would have been horribly wrong if I had said yes. And, I couldn't bring myself to tell you about the phone call because I wasn't ready to deal with it. I just figured that we would go on seeing each other, and maybe I could win you over." I sighed. "Pretty stupid, huh?"

"No way, I'm the stupid one, Hannah. I am such an asshole. Shit. I came over here today to apologize for the way that I treated you, come to find out I didn't know how badly that I really was treating you? When it comes to Bones, I obviously don't make the wisest decisions, it's just that it's usually me who gets hurt." Sighing, he continued. "Hannah, can I even _ask_ for your forgiveness?"

"I'm a big girl, Seeley. And, a reporter too. I ignored all the red flags smacking me in the face because you're you. I knew you belonged to Temperance, but for my own dumb luck, she let me have you even if only for a little while. I just wanted to hold onto you until you came to your senses." I laughed. "But you never did."

"So you did it for me." He came back to sit beside me. He rubbed his face in his hands, placing his elbows on his knees. _Where the hell were the dice? How does he do that? _

"If you had said yes…"

I laughed. "If I had said yes, we would have had to relocate to Afghanistan to avoid the wrath of Angela."

Seeley laughed, grabbing my hand again. "You're an amazing woman, Hannah."

I squeezed his hand back. "Yes, I know, Seeley. If it wasn't Temperance, I would tell you that you were an idiot for not being in love with me."

He raised his eyebrows. "You know, you're being awfully generous Hannah. You've been generous too – apparently through our whole relationship."

"Yes, well Kyle gets to reap the rewards of my awesomeness now!" I teased. "Hey look, Seeley, I've really got to go. Walk me out?"

We both stood, Seeley headed towards the door as I grabbed my laptop bag, keys and phone. As I approached him, the look on his face told me that there was more he needed to say. I didn't have time.

"It's okay, Seeley. _We're fine_. You're free to start your relationship with Temperance without guilt, or anger." I pressed my hand to his heart. He stood, shaking his head in agreement, but eyes still full of doubt. "_You love her_. You're allowed to love her, Seeley."

He covered my hand with his own. "Thank you Hannah." he said solemnly. He leaned into to kiss me on the cheek.

_The breakup that we both deserved. _

The moment passed. I patted him on the chest as I encouraged him out the door.

Seeley turned to me with a shy grin. "So this Kyle guy, tell me about him…."

I beamed. "Well, he's a Secret Service agent. Former Navy." _Three, two, one…_

He groaned. "C'mon, Han! A Squid? What's next? You going to tell me he's a Penguins fan?"

"Well - " I sang. "He's actually an LA Kings fan..." Seeley continued to groan.

_We were going to be okay._

* * *

_BOOTH's POV_

I walked back toward my bedroom thinking about the craziness of the past 96 hours. Losing Vincent. Me and Bones. Capturing Brodsky. Almost losing Bones and having Bones forgive me. Clearing the air with Hannah. London...

Jesus, I was exhausted. I couldn't wait for my head to hit that pill-.

_Look at them. _Bones and Parker were laying face-to-face on the bed, my partner lulling my little boy to sleep with an inventory of all 27 bones of the hand. My heart was in my throat at the site of my two angels.

Paraphrasing my ex, I thought to myself:_ finally, I'm allowed to love her. _

Everyone had decided to crash to catch up to the time change and then meet up for lunch. I knew that our opportunities to be together over the next week were limited, so I was ecstatic when I convinced Bones to join Parker and me for a nap. I just wanted her near me.

She smiled up a me as I laid on the bed, completing the cocoon around my little boy. I breathed in the scent of my little boy's head as I watched my partner complete the lesson.

_I wanted a life with her. _

I knew Parks was asleep when her eyes shifted from my son to me.

She smiled her Mona Lisa smile at me, her eyes heavy with the need to sleep. I pulled her closer in to Parker and me so that I could touch her face.

_I wanted a family with her._

"I love you so much." I whispered. She kissed my palm, and then moved my hand to her waist.

_I wanted everything with her. _

Pulling up the impressively laundered throw, we drifted off into a well-deserved nap.


	23. Chapter 23: Almost There

_Created April 2013 - __I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

A/N: 05/25/2013: Happy Memorial Day Weekend to the folks in the US. Want to be humbled? Visit Arlington National Cemetery. Boundless love and appreciation to those that we have lost in service of our country.

Also. A few of you have asked for an elaboration to Ma Bones Day. My apologies - it was only intended to be a Mother's Day one-shot and that is how it will stay. A thousand apologies!

* * *

Brennan stirred from her nap.

She was finding it difficult to breathe and she was quite warm from the excessive heat caused from being enveloped in a clutch of Booths. She found her body interlocked in spots by Parker, and in different spots by Booth.

She extended her neck and head back to assess the situation further. Her motion immediately improved her breathing, as Parker's fingers had been inexplicably inserted in her nose. She chuckled quietly at the discovery, followed by a contented maternal sigh, noting how safely nestled his head was buried against her bosom.

Still unsure of the logistics of how she was intertwined in the Booth pretzel, Brennan attempted to hug her body against the mini Booth. Brennan wondered at the overwhelming experiences that she was having. She felt a sense of belonging and ownership.

Over the years, she had developed a coterie of friends who had become her family, but no one had pierced the layers to her affection the way that Booth and his son had. Even if only to herself - she had to admit - that as difficult as it had been to overtly acknowledge her feelings for Booth - he was so very easy to love. And, her observance of the unconditional love between him and his son drew her in even further. How a man, so strong, so alpha, so capable of great violence was so equally warm, tender and loving to his little boy reinforced her opinion – Seeley Booth was the best man she had ever known.

_Speaking of warm. _

Now that she was fully awake, the heat emanating from Parker's body was becoming slightly unbearable. Locating the "key" to the Boothlock: Booth's left hand, which had been firmly planted against her ass - Brennan extricated her right arm from under his left. She slid her leg from between his and gently, she placed Booth's arm around Parker. She caressed Parker's hair and cheek before easing off the bed. And again, for reasons not immediately known to her, Brennan found it important that she replace her presence against Parker's with a pillow. Stranding up straight, she felt that she had provided him a suitable substitute for her body.

Before stealing away from the room, Brennan lovingly observed the sleeping Booths. She thought about her own childhood, the comfort and security that Max and Christine had provided for the her first fifteen years of her life. She also recalled the pain and trauma of losing that security. She had always admired Booth's dedication to his role as a father, even under difficult circumstances – he was a such a good man - the best that she had ever known. For a fleeting second, her mind betrayed her with a thought of how he would be with their progeny. She shook her head as if to erase the sentiment, unaware that she had also been rubbing her abdomen as well. She grabbed her laptop and phone, and took off towards the study.

As this residence was known as The Library, shelves surrounded Brennan, replete with centuries worth of works from British authors. Brennan had stayed in this residence the last time that she was at the Connaught, and knew it was for this reason that she had selected it especially for Booth.

The residence had a quality that was very analogous to that of Bruce Wayne, the character from Batman. A character that Brennan knew Booth wanted to be, had been a superhero. Batman or the Green Lantern. She recalled fondly Booth's squint costume, and how quickly her prurience had objectified Squinty Booth into an awkward, but very capable Clark Kent to meet the desires of her as Wonder Woman. That had been a very satisfying and recurring fantasy, as she recalled.

Brennan grinned mischievously, devising a plan to do some research on Underoos for adults, recalling her and Russ's adventures, tearing around their house in the underwear designed in the costumes of their favorite superheroes. She _had_ to procure adult-sized versions of the undergarments for Booth. While Brennan knew of Booth's distaste for extreme sexual predilections, she was certain that both she and her partner would enjoy many an evening were Booth to play Batman to her Wonder Woman.

Captain America may work too, Brennan mused, as she situated herself onto the couch. She waited for her laptop to power up while she checked messages on her phone. Unknowingly, she mimicked Booth's earlier actions, checking her call history. She too paused at the reference to Hannah's name, recalling the disruption that her calls to her house and cell phone had caused.

* * *

_Brennan was shell shocked. She had barely uttered five sentences to Booth before he stormed out of her apartment. Sitting up on her bed, she searched for any rational explanation about what had just transpired, defeated as she had found none. _

_Well, so was she. With tears of anger streaming down her face, she rose and quickly redressed._

_"How could I have been so stupid?" She thought, shamed that her blind faith in Booth had betrayed her into thinking that they could actually work out as a couple._

_Vincent's murder had strengthened/weakened Brennan to be vulnerable. She thought that she could finally let down her guard with Booth, that of all people - he would be sensitive and protecting of her fragile emotions. _

_That she'd be safe._

_Brennan was livid. Booth was without cause to accuse her of betraying their partnership by fulfilling a responsibility to the Jeffersonian. He had not listened when she explained how more comfortable she would be having Hannah - someone that she knew - had been friends with - to do the interview than any other reporter. _

_And he certainly didn't like it when she suggested that Booth may still have unresolved feelings for Hannah. _

_He had stormed off. Left the sweet lovers' embrace they were so enjoying. That she had allowed herself to succumb to and welcome. What she had written about for seven years was no longer a fantasy, but a reality. Her reality. Finally...but then, no._

_"Mom's still right"_

_Brennan thought bitterly of advice that Christine had bestowed upon her half her life ago: "you're too emotional and dreamy, Temperance. You are making decisions using your emotions instead of using your brain! Baby, the way that you are – you're very impressionable. Use your head Tempe, it's okay to be rational. Don't let your heart lead you down a path that you're not strong enough to –"_

_Brennan sobbed at the recollection. Angered by her mother's unsolicited advice, she had stormed off, the same way that Booth had stormed off from her. _

_After that, she never saw her mother again. _

_That realization gripped her immediately. Brennan felt her entire body shake, adrenalin pumping through her body. She couldn't let her anger keep her away from someone whom she loved – not again. She had long-suffered the unexpected consequences of her last argument with her mother. As a scientist, and as a woman – she wouldn't make that mistake again. She sat on the bed in an effort to regain stability to her breath. She would temper her anger; she couldn't – wouldn't lose Booth as she had lost her mother. _

_Frantically, she searched for her phone._

_Booth wasn't answering his phone. She whined to herself, vowing to connect to him in some way. She opened a text form to SMS him, fingers shaking, irrational with worry:_

**_Booth. Don't be angry. Please come back. _**

_For the next half an hour, Brennan worried, but busied herself with a draft for Vincent's funeral. Writing about his loss and what he meant to her was helping to regain her composure. Still, she was tormented by the unresolved dispute between her and her partner. She needed some reassurance that they were not done, even before they began. _

_Unfortunately, the ball was in Booth's rink._

_When Brennan arrived at the Montenegro-Hodgins residence to pick Angela up, Angela was more than disappointed to discover that her bestie had yet to "seal the deal with Seel."_

_"Oh Sweetie." Angela sang with concern. "Hannah's a really tough subject. You know Booth. He has a long memory and a short temper. You had to realize that he may not react so well to hearing that the love of his life would be keeping recorded time with the ex who rejected his proposal. He probably thinks that she may try to embarrass you in some way, especially given the recent change in your relationship."_

_"But Hannah's like me, Agne. She wouldn't be jealous or vindictive She's a professional."_

_Angela could not help but to gaze patronizingly on her friend. "Sweetie. William Congreve: 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.' "_

_"Actually, Ange - the correct quote is ' Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned..."_

_"Sweetie..." Angela warned. _

_"Sorry." Brennan apologized, trying to make a effort to stay on topic in casual conversation, however incorrect the content of the discussion. _

_"It's okay. But you just proved my point. Nobody's like you, **but you**. It's not to say that Hannah won't be professional but Booth and she didn't break up cleanly, y'know?"_

_Brennan frowned but acknowledged her understanding of her friend's insight. Angela continued while Brennan drove them to the Jeffersonian to pick up some items for Vincent's memorial brunch._

_"But he shouldn't have taken off the way he did. That's always a bad move. Let him come to you, Sweetie, give him some time to cool down, Honey. He….hold on, I think this is from him…."_

_Finally an SMS from Booth. Angela read the message to her._

**_Don't even know how to start apologizing. I shouldn't have yelled. You deserve me to be a better man. Let me sort some things out. Please don't shut me out. I love you Baby. I'm an idiot. I love you Bones._**

_While calmed by the message, Brennan's face knotted while Angela smirked at the screen._

_"Baby? You've been feeling each other up for two days, and he's already calling you 'Baby?'"_

_Though irritated still with Booth, she felt the need to defend him "What?! It's a term of endearment!" Angela could discern the briefest of smiles on her friend's face. "Booth enjoys calling me Baby, and I - , I like it when he does. It really isn't any of your business, Ange….__**You**__ call me 'Sweetie' and Dr. Hodgins calls everyone 'Baby' and…."_

_Angela kept silent, amused at how this tidbit was making the best-selling author and world renowned scientist squirm. "So what do you call Agent Hot Stuff?"_

_"Booth"_

_Angela sighed, reminded at how similar Brennan and Zach were. Maybe she would go visit Zach while everyone was in Great Britain._

_"Well – **Baby** - you're sooooooo close. Give him hell for ruining what sounded like a really steamy morning in the making. But don't give up on him, okay? He loves you. Remember, the two of you are the same two people you were three days ago. These first few weeks may be a little rocky."_

_Brennan nodded, only slightly perturbed at Angela's tease. "And by 'rocky', you mean…."_

_Angela sighed._

* * *

Brennan touched her lips, fondly reenacting the rush of feelings that overcame her as she and Booth reconciled at the Founding Fathers. She wondered if she would always feel this way - so raw and primal, but tender and loving at the same time.

With Parker in their care for the next five days, Brennan needed to find a way to cool the heat of her desire for her partner. Seeley Booth - the man that she had known for seven years and had less than a day's worth of sexual engagement with - was flooding her mind.

She decided to leverage her common coping mechanism - writing. Through her words, she may be able to dilute the rush of emotions that were attacking her at every turn. Now that she and Booth had stepped over the line, she was want to destroy it.

Her laptop finally whirred to life and Brennan prepared to open her authoring tool. In the corner of her eye though - she saw a new message received from Angela - the final edit on Vincent's video.

Brennan popped open the video and watched as friends, students and colleagues paid tribute to their fallen friend. The video was poignant, funny and respectful. Tears welled up as Brennan watched her partner come onto the screen, recalling a tale about Vincent that even she didn't know. Booth's tale was about her and how Vincent was so obsessed with his need to impress her that he sought advice from Booth. Brennan sneered briefly, thinking of how Booth treated all of her interns (except Wendell) - especially Zach - in her presence. But Booth's words revealed something that she hadn't realized. Even though Booth was dismissive and aloof with her interns, it was obvious that he perceived them as his extended family - that he played the role of big brother extolling advice and shared love of their revered leader.

In that moment, Brennan felt an overwhelming sense of love and loss. Even the feelings of loss felt right. Brennan saw that her best friend was online, and reached out to her by video call.

Angela appeared on her computer within seconds. "Hi Sweetie! You got the link?"

Brennan looked at her friend. Even from a 15" screen, Brennan could see how the exercise of producing Vincent's video had been an analogous experience to her resolving a loved one's loss for a worried family. She beamed at her friend.

"Angela. I love you. I know I don't say it often, but it is the underlying current of our relationship. And, this video for Vincent's family - it makes me love you even more - if that's possible."

Stunned by the ease of the share from her emotionally awkward friend, and completely wiped out by the emotions of the week and the hormonal changes that she was managing, Angela burst into tears of appreciation for her friend's unexpected disclosure of affection.

"Oh, Honey! Thank you! I love you too. And we all loved Vincent. I'm glad that it showed in the video."

Brennan wiped away a few riotous tears that had escaped. "Yes. Per your instructions, I will not show it to anyone else to allow for maximum dramatic effect."

Angela - still recovering from the unexpected endearments - chuckled at her friend. "Thanks Sweetie!" Angela noted the background of the room that Brennan was in, noting the shelves of books behind her. "Looks like your in Hodgie & Booth's room?"

"Yes. Everyone's still asleep" With a look of mischief on her face, Brennan whispered "I took a nap with Booth and Parker."

Angela touched her collarbone, struck by the sweetness of the act. "Aw, Bren - that's adorable!"

Brennan continued, laughing "when I woke up, I was wrapped up in cluster of Booth and Parker's arms and legs! Parker's fingers were up my nose! And, his head was resting on my bosom. It was a very sweet embrace, Ange."

Angela sighed a heavy sigh. Rubbing her belly, envious of her bestie's maternal practice, and impatient for memories of her own. Still, she was Angela, and had to tease. "Well, we know how much the Booth men love your breasts and how much they love sticking their fingers in you."

"Ange! That's distasteful!" Brennan scolded, even though she too was amused in a juvenile way. It was true, Booth men did love being near her body - Parker, Booth... and Jared - a fact that Brennan had promised Angela she would never share with Booth.

"Sorry Sweetie! Even though we're still in business, it's about 12 more weeks before me and the BugMan can resume our kind of nookie gymnastics. I'm getting a little hot under the collar, y'know?"

Brennan shifted in her seat, realizing that both she and her friend were both in need of some rigorous intercourse with their chosen partners. Her face told everything that Angela needed to know. Angela continued.

"So you guys are OK? You and Booth? Taking a nap with your future stepson is too cute!"

"Angela!" Brennan scolded again. "I am not going to marry Booth, I don't believe in marriage. And so therefore, Parker cannot be my stepson."

Angela raised her eyebrows at Brennan. She knew that she had the privilege of giving Brennan - her metaphorical sister - the truth without repercussion. "Really, Sweetie? Parker's been like your stepson for _years_. He loves you almost as much as he loves his mom and Booth." Angela dared Brennan to challenge her with her look.

Brennan only smiled - weakly - still uncertain of the shower of feelings that she was having - welcoming - but still ill at ease about. "I must confess - I've felt very maternal towards Parker so far. I feel very much like a protective lioness guarding her cub." she beamed. Angela smiled broadly back at her friend's words. "I also must confess that I took a picture of Parker and Booth asleep. The image was very - heart-warming, I think you would say." Brennan became distracted as she located her phone to present the picture to her friend.

Even without the clearest of images, Angela could see the cuteness of the photo. "Oh Honey. Do NOT lose that photo!"

Not that she had intended to, Brennan was still curious about her friend's caution "Why not?"

"Because, that man will piss you off royally one day and you'll need something to remind you of why you love him. That photo will totally do it."

Brennan crinkled her nose. "I'll defer to your knowledge in this area, but what does this have to do with royalty?"

Angela pressed her mouth together - she really did love Bren. "It's a turn of phrase, Sweetie!" It was now Angela who was distracted "Uhoh! I think our chat woke up Hodgie. He's calling me, Bren. Let me go okay? I love you."

Brennan smiled at the screen. "I love you too Ange."

Brennan closed the video call and began to check through her email. She had busied herself for about 10 minutes when she saw movement in the corner of her eye. She looked up to see her partner. She smiled lovingly, noting the worry on his face (that she had left) change to relief and then excitement.

"Hey" he said quietly.

"Hey." she replied allowing him to scoot up to the left of her. He placed his arms around her shoulder, pulling her to him.

"Is Hodgins still asleep?" he inquired, rubbing her shoulder.

"No. But he's on a call with Angela. Parker?"

"Out cold. But he usually is, until he's woken up."

"Hmm. Angela & Hodgins will probably talk for a long time..." Brennan mused, placing her laptop on the coffee table, and slipping her hand onto his thigh.

"Noted." Booth grinned as he leaned onto his partner, hungry for a proper kiss. Brennan melded to his touch, eager as well to feel him close to her again.

When the two came up for air, Brennan stood up from the couch. Booth - learning - waited to see how these actions would play out. Brennan quickly switched from sitting on Booth's right side, to his left side. Completing the action, she pulled her partner by his shirt towards her lips. "C'mere." she whispered. Smiling at their inside joke. They kissed again, this time, Brennan eased her head towards the back of the sofa arm, allowing Booth to lay on top of her.

This time Booth broke the kiss. "So what just happened there, Bones? With the switching of the sides?"

Impatient that he was interrupting their oral session, Brennan sighed. "I was just more comfortable being to the left of you Booth. I'm usually to the left of you. I like being to the left of you. I prefer being to the left of you." Brennan thought of countless sessions on Sweets' couch, their overnights where she had slept on the left side, and also...

"Oh, you have a side! he exclaimed. "No problem, there Bones! Good to know." he shifted, pulling her legs onto his lap as he darted back toward her lips. Softly, gently, serenely they kissed until Booth had another thought. "But I'm to the left of you when we drive Bones..."

Brennan smirked "Exactly."

Booth chuckled. "Bones you are such a brat." He pinched her hip as he dove back onto her mouth.

Minutes of bliss went by as the duo made out on the sofa like a poorly paid babysitter and her boyfriend. Until, like a meerkat, Hodgins popped up behind them on the sofa. "This is common area you know, Booth! You do have a bedroom. So do you Dr. B."

The abrupt appearance caused Booth to jump up, sending Brennan to the floor. "Oooooooooooof!"

"Hodgins!" Booth warned "What the Hell?" Booth eyed Brennan apologetically, ensuring that she was okay. Reassured by her condition, he helped her sit back on the sofa, while Booth glared at Hodgins (leaning against the back of the sofa) with a view to a kill.

Hodgins grinned smugly at the pair. Conspiracy theorist tendencies aside, Hodgins LOVED love, and he loved the fact that two of his favorite people were getting it on after years of tortuous abstinence. That Dr. B had taken a header was just icing on the cake. He continued to grin. "Sorry! But you know I'm right. I can't believe that I need to discuss rules and protocol with an Army guy Booth. Hang a sock on the door if you need to. "

Booth wanted to kill the entomologist. So did his colleague. Brennan stared Hodgins down. "What can we do for you Dr. Hodgins?"

His eyes twinkled. "Well, I was going to head out - check out the neighborhood. Just got off the phone with Cam. Arastoo is familiar with this area, so he's going to give us a tour. I figured that I'd be gone for about an hour and a half or two...wondering if Parker may want to join us?"

Brennan frowned at her old friend. Why on Earth hadn't Hodgins invited them? Booth certainly was not going to let Parker go without -

"Hey! That's a great idea Bug Man! Parker would love the tour of this neighborhood! Let me go get him." Booth grinned from ear-to-ear, apparently elated at Hodgins' suggestion. He patted Jack on both shoulders as he rose from the sofa, turning towards the bedroom to wake Parker.

Brennan was confused and a bit annoyed. "I wanted to show Parker the neighborhood, Hodgins. I had planned an itinerary for our outing and -"

"Dr. Brennan." Hodgins interrupted - the twinkle in his eye even brighter. "I apologize for not thinking my invitation through. It had not occurred to me that if all of us were out and about, that you and Booth would be without plans..."

Brennan processed his words, thinking through the conditional scenario. Her face lit up with a broad, then a mischievous smile. She stood up, Hodgins also following her rise. "Heh, heh! Thank you, Jack. It is very thoughtful of you to avail Booth and I time to be intimate."

"Don't thank me. Thank my ever plotting wife for the suggestion." Hodgins went off to retrieve his backpack.

Brennan smiled at her surrogate brother. In the world of metaphors, Jack Hodgins had been her brother just as much as Russ had been. She turned at the sound of small footsteps running towards her. She was tackled by Parker's leg hug.

"Dr. Bones! Dr. Hodgins is going to take me on tour of the neighborhood with the rest of the Squints! Are you sure you can't go?" Parker looked up at Brennan with Booth's pleading eyes.

Brennan looked at Booth. Sensing her impending break, Booth interceded. "Uh, sorry Bub. Bones & I have some unfinished business to resolve, but pay close attention to what Dr. Hodgins shows you, because I'll want you to take me & Bones out later tonight, OK?"

Parker heeded his father's words, and while he was disappointed that they would not be joining them, Parker was also as excited about being able to teach them - the two smartest people that he knew - some things about London. "OK!" he acquiesced. He hugged Brennan's legs again before he took off back towards his Dad, who had his jacket.

Hodgins strode past Brennan towards Booth and Parker. "Ready, mini-Squint?" he said, placing a hand on Parker's shoulder.

"Ready!" he cried out. "Seeya later Dad! Bye Dr. Bones!"

"Bye Parker, have fun OK?"

"OK! Bye Dad, I love you!"

"I love you too, Parks." Booth hugged his son and then escorted him and Hodgins out of the door. Closing both doors behind him, he pivoted to see his partner waiting for him in the brief hallway between the study and the entrance. She shifted nervously under his gaze.

Booth smiled.


	24. Chapter 24: Evidence

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings. I also must not forget the incredible writing of Covalent Bond, whose writing has become my Bones methadone through this long summer._

_____6/2/2013 A/N: I apologize in advance for the long chapter. I usually "read" FF via my iPad Narrator, and any chapter that requires the memory to pause and "dump" a set of text before being able to read the rest - I personally consider self-indulgent ego maniacal drivel. _

_____So, I'm now officially that type of hot mess. But I bet you'll figure out why I've done what I've done. Please forgive. _

* * *

Hands down: scientists are the most amazing lovers.

To have the scientific method applied to sex - especially the experimentation phase - was a thing of bliss.

I looked down at the formidable scientist snoring quietly on top of me - she was so cute - a little drool escaping but totally forgivable as her luscious brown hair splays all over my chest, tickling my neck. I stroked up and down her back - her skin is so soft. I kiss her forehead enjoying that my touch makes her stir and entwine her lovely naked body even further into mine.

I'll never get over how tiny she feels in my arms. I know that she would kill me for thinking it, but she is mine to protect.

_Sigh. _

I'm a little regretful, knowing that I'll need to wake her soon. She doesn't sleep enough. She _thinks_ she does – the stubborn squint in her makes every one of our arguments a battle between her logic and my well-reasoned common sense. She may have data on her side, but so do I – data _and_ experience. And, even she will admit that she can't hold a candle to my superior understanding of interpersonal relations. That's why she also has me in her life, why we are perfect for each other: I smooth out her rough edges. At times, it is exhausting to be her partner, but her love is the ultimate payoff.

Her love, and the privilege to hold her as she sleeps.

And, that one of my responsibilities is to fuck her senseless. An excellent way to ensure she will get some well-deserved rest.

My amazing lover. My awkward forensic anthropologist. My precious little wildcat.

Mine.

Just ten more minutes. I had seen a message flash on her phone on the nightstand. I'm sure that it was the signal from Cam that we'd need to come up for air soon. I'll wait ten more minutes for us to lay together before we got up to join everyone else. While I'm fine spending all of this time with the Jeffersonian crew – our oddly constructed family (more my family than was the FBI) - I'm thankful for these wonderful stolen hours together.

As a family, Vincent's funeral will definitely allow us all to begin the healing process together. It was a shame that Angela had to remain in DC. Still, I'm certain the work she was doing on the video was helping her to process her grief. I'm sure that Hodgins was urgent to return back to her as quickly as possible, too. I make a note to take her out to lunch when I return to check in to see how she's doing. In addition to seeing that she was okay, I was going to need some relationship advice from her.

This week had been hell. I just couldn't get it out of my mind that it could have been her and not Vincent that Brodsky had killed. I'm not sure what I would do without her, after all that we've been through together, I barely remember life without her. Well, that is until her disastrous Maluku trip separated us. Jesus, the ridiculous relationship drama that the trip had caused; kicking off the set of events that had led us to this moment.

This moment.

And then there will be the next.

Where were we going?

_Sigh. _I had tried to move on when she chose Maluku over us. Taking time away from the FBI work that would remind me of her _was_ a worthy distraction, but even the warm embrace of another woman couldn't replace the mark that she had on me. For a long time, I had tried so hard to resist this – to protect myself – and in some ways her. But I love this woman so much – all of her genius, her quirks, her sweetness, her passion and her fantastic body. And she says that she loves me too.

She loves _**me**._

In spite of the horrors of my childhood. In spite of the fact I still was not yet the man I wanted to be for her - she loves me.

I'm a lucky guy.

And yet, I can't get escape the niggling feeling that my love of Daisy Wick is directly tied to her obsession to be Dr. Brennan's doppelganger.

Dr. Brennan.

_And Agent Booth._ Can't think of one without the other.

The phases of my relationship with Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth have evolved from barely professional to completely familial. We are at the point now where I can't even see the lines of professional responsibility. I don't treat them any more for this reason. Yet on occasion, they still seek my perspective. It is a privileged view that I have to their lives.

Of course in my graduate studies, I had learned of the dangers of falling for patients, but had anyone fallen for a couple? At first - well, for a minute - they had really been my patients; but they almost immediately evolved into the cool seniors that had inexplicably invited me - the freshman - to hang out with them. Through revelations of our mutual pasts, they became like my big brother and sister.

But now. Now, they have very much serve the surrogate role of my parents.

And in true Oedipal fashion, my admiration of Dr. Brennan has often crossed that line. Maybe, my Dad and my hot stepmother is a more palatable analog.

Rationalization. I'm such a fraud.

I've always been smitten with her. I know that my crush is silly, but I can't help myself. Dr. Brennan is such a fantasy. She's just so effortlessly bewitching; her striking features so sharp and soft at the same time. Her brilliance. Her strength. Her spirit. Her voice. Her breasts.

_God, her breasts._ The most distinctive difference between Brennan and Daisy.

Sometimes I think that one of the things that draws me to Daisy is that we're both a little in love with Brennan.

My traitorous thoughts are interrupted as my girlfriend wakes. As always, she is feisty and wanting immediately. "Hmmm, Lancelot. You must have had a nice dream about me. How about another go around?" I feel Daisy's tiny hand slip around my cock.

I laugh nervously, a little guilty that my thoughts of Dr. Brennan were the cause of my arousal.

"Hey" I whisper, watching as she climbs up my body, her mouth towards mine.

"Hey" she purrs.

"Did you have a nice nap?" I offered, so happy to see her so well-rested. She rolled her adorable sleepy eyes at me.

"Oh Lance!" Her eyes now twinkle and then she kisses me. I fall into the kiss as I try to force my prurient thoughts of Bones away.

I know clearly that Dr. Brennan will never be mine. Even calling her "Bones" now, in my head seems – wrong. As much as I've desired to apply this moniker to Dr. Brennan, the mark of Agent Booth on her is so deep and irremovable. I wonder if any man will ever get past his guardianship. It blows my mind that he protects her like a eunuch protects a virgin. He just _accepts it_...barely realizes it!

Heh! Booth as a eunuch.

_ Hilarious_.

I turn Daisy over so that I'm on top of her. I pull her hands over her head to constrain her. She loves it when I control her like this. I like it too. I use my knee to part her legs.

"Take me, Lancelot" she orders.

I, of course, oblige her insatiable appetite. I "rawr" at my lover, setting her off into a fit of giggles.

It was baffling: how two people who were obviously so much in love could continue to let their fear impede their happiness. Perhaps the loss of Vincent would serve as a watershed event. Bringing Parker on this trip was a great strategy by Booth to diffuse her defenses and help her visualize her role as a surrogate mother. The more that I thought about it, the more convinced I was that it wouldn't be long now.

And boy – how explosive that will be.

I lightly nibbled on Daisy's neck en route back to her mouth. She wrapped her legs around my body as I centered myself to enter her. I devoured her mouth in a hot kiss.

Living vicariously through Booth's experiences had become my crutch. I couldn't wait for the dam to break. The thought of Booth finally taking Dr. Brennan overwhelmed my thoughts. I could see them arguing, voices escalating, bodies angling closer and closer to each other until the only thing between them was a metaphorical wall to tear down.

Booth of course would break first. Shoving Brennan roughly against a wall and tearing away at a clingy dress that barely hid her heaving, luscious, athletic body.

Daisy gasped.

...And I could hear Dr. Brennan gasping as her initial protests to Booth's assault easily dissipated, and her body relaxed, no begged - for his touch. How he would breathe in her scent of vanilla, or maybe the cucumber body wash that she sometimes uses. How hungrily she clawed at him breathless, panting, moaning….

"Oh Lancelot" Daisy moaned as I drilled inside her.

…and then_ her_ break. How exquisite she must look when she comes. From the information that I had gathered, the deep sea welder was the last to cross that threshold. She would be so ready. And when it was Booth, it would be mega-volcanic. Especially if she let him….

"Yes, Lance! Harder! More! Mmmmph! Yes!" Daisy growled at my pistoning.

I looked down on my girlfriend. She was pink with ecstasy. I watched as she peaked into orgasm. Her body writhing in satisfaction. Our eyes connected excitedly as I came too.

We connected.

Our connection was so strong.

We kissed passionately, unloading our cannons, knowing that we probably wouldn't be able to touch each other for six or seven more hours. I caressed her face sweetly as we laughed at our mutual sexual prowess.

Maybe it was time that we discussed living together.

I really needed to talk to Angela.

Maybe I'll see what Booth thinks.

* * *

Booth faced his fidgeting partner, his hands behind him, still crisscrossed and tethered to the door. He leaned forward from the door, watching his partner blush at the Cheshire grin spread across his face.

He may have known her best, but even Seeley Booth would tell you that there were very few facial expressions that Temperance Brennan allowed her face to betray with any hint of definition – curiosity, agreement, disinterest, doubt, sadness, delight, anger, impatience.…

But right now - _damn._

Right now, Booth saw a look that he had seen so very few times, but it had been so memorable that he knew it immediately. It was the look on her face the night he fired her. The look he caught a brief glimpse of as he demonstrated his boxing skills to Joe Nolan and his cronies at Joe's gym in Vegas. The look that he dreamed about when Bren was his wife, and he was in a coma. The look that caught him off guard, in her office, before Caroline, under mistletoe. The look that caused him to tumble – pants around his knees – in Angela's closet. A look that she had directed (and he quickly redirected) at an 18 year old version of Booth on a recent booze cruise.

It was arousal. And delight.

Hedgehog horniness.

She was ready.

"Bones, you look downright frisky." He murmured hungrily as he watched her.

She ignored his tease, but was definitely excited at the tone in his voice. Her hands twitched in anticipation of touching him. She stepped towards him with the slightest of shy, apologetic smiles, confessing "It had not occurred to me immediately that Hodgins' suggestion would avail us time alone together to pleasure each other."

Pulling himself briefly back towards the door, and then launching off from it like a backwards push up, Booth snorted. He placed his hands in his pockets as he walked casually towards Brennan. She smirked at his subtle display of physicality.

"Pleasure each other? I was thinking that we could complete our relationship status change paperwork, Bones. You know, to get a head start on the bureaucracy of the forms that our government will throw at us…." He grinned cheerily at the knot that formed in Brennan's forehead.

"Booth, don't be silly. We must wisely use this time for intimacy. For foreplay and multiple engagements of sex." Her mouth gaped open in disbelief as she stood toe to toe with her partner. He leaned his nose down to briefly nuzzle hers, with no reply. His grin evolved into a smile as he watched her catch up to his tease.

"Oh!" she snickered. Lightly, she touched his abdominals, which flexed involuntarily at her touch. She slipped her hands to his sides, pulling his body even closer while his hands remained in his pockets. "Stop teasing me Booth." She cooed.

"Never." He whispered against her mouth. He nuzzled her nose again, both of them breathing each other in before Brennan planted her lips onto Booth's.

Like that first kiss.

As the duo was carried away by their delicious embrace, Booth slid his arms around to caress Brennan's bottom, pulling her even closer to him. His massive hands squeezed her gently before moving upwards, one to grip her tiny waist, the other cascading up her torso, past her neck, cupping her face. He held her whole face in his hand, stationing it so that he could control their kiss. She moaned softly at his show of control. There they stood for minutes, simply enjoying the freedom of being able to be together. Both of them sighed contentedly; absent-mindedly pecking at each other's lips.

As they released, Brennan raised her hands, pressing them against Booth's firm chest.

He mumbled. "We must remember to thank Dr. Hodgins for this romantic gesture."

Booth had come to love the duality of his socially awkward partner's adherence to good manners – at least the ones that she knew to abide. He knew she would oblige. He easily kissed her forehead as he hugged her to him. She reciprocated, her arms low on his back. With the heels that she normally wore, Brennan was usually only an inch or two shorter than Booth. But her flats meant that he was almost a full head shorter than him. Her head perfectly fit under his chin. He rocked her slowly side to side as the side of her mouth brushed against his neck.

Into his chest, she replied warmly. "Actually, it was Angela's suggestion. "

He chuckled. "Of course, Bug Man's just a soldier executing her orders."

He could feel her freeze in his arms. For a brief moment, the two paused at Booth's word choice, given their recent conversations about Brodsky and the role of a sniper. Brodsky and the reverberating impact that he had on their lives.

Both stood quietly, solemnly as the shared thought was unspoken. Booth stepped back to look at his partner - his warm chocolate eyes imploringly sought apology in her cerulean blues.

He grabbed at Brennan's delicate hands, threading his through hers. His rough thumbs brushed her lightly, slowly against the soft flesh of her palms. Lovingly, Brennan squeezed Booth's hands and tugged him slightly toward her, accepting his silent apology. Booth swallowed, eyes squinting in a smile, so appreciative and relieved that his very literal partner seemed to be in full sync with the nuances of this nonverbal exchange.

Changing the subject - or at least continuing the subject last uttered, she offered "Sometimes I think that Angela wants us together more than we want to be together." She smiled weakly as she proceeded to speak before Booth's protest. "Only _sometimes_. I'm quite confident that my desire for you cannot not be surpassed, Booth."

"Not even by Sweets?" he joked. Even though neither of them could confirm who Sweets had more of a crush on, they had accepted that the fostered psychologist had imprinted on them like a baby duck. He had been very proud of his partner comparing Sweets' obsession with them to a child playing with Mommy and Daddy dolls in a playhouse. He knew that as much as they both liked the kid, he was still a pest - especially to his partner.

She responded with a roll of her eyes and a fierce kiss.

Booth staggered back as Brennan assaulted Booth's mouth with his tongue. She wasn't letting go. With this kiss, she wanted to ensure that this was the last time that either of them would be talking about the young psychologist or anyone else for the next few hours. Coming up for breath, Booth smiled goofily - similarly to his "friendly furniture" face. He staggered again, watching his partner's amused visage of satisfaction. "Okay, it can't be surpassed." Brennan beamed at her partner's acquiescence.

Again, the pair's lips met in a brief kiss. This time, Booth trailed his lips to the side of her chin, down her neck. Brennan nipped and sucked on his ear lobes. Her hands dropped from his waist, down further to grip him even closer to her body.

"God, Booth you have the best ass!" she growled under her breath. Booth chuckled with pride as his hyperbole-averse mate extolled his virtues.

He began to unbutton her blouse and he slipped his hand inside to squeeze her bra-covered breasts. "Mmmmmmmmm" she hummed. Her mouth was still pressed against the side his cheek, near his ear. He reveled at the sound of her halting breaths as his thumbs circled her nipples.

He slipped one hand to her hip while the other burrowed into her bra to feel her skin. He pinched playfully at her nipples. From the corner of his eye, he noticed them in the mirror above the side table. From that vantage point, he watched her expressions of pleasure at his ministrations. "Gorgeous." He muttered as he allowed her hand space to palm his growing erection over his jeans. Her hand slipped his shirt up to feel the skin on his belly. Her nails scratched lightly against his skin. Their lips met again. And again.

She pushed back a bit to look Booth in the eyes. Panting as she formed her question, Booth awaited her question with a smile.

"Can we go to bed now?" she pleaded. "I want very much for you to be inside me, Booth."

Booth's knees weakened a little at her simple entreaty. "Yes please." He responded earnestly, his swollen lips barely moving.

Brennan's eyes flashed as she pulled Booth by the belt buckle towards the door.

"Whoa Bones! Bedroom's that way, remember?" he stopped her forward motion in confusion.

But still, he knew she had a reason for everything that she did, so he expected to be met with an impatient glare and a scolding instruction - which he totally loved anyway. Instead, Brennan turned toward Booth with a look of adventure. "Booth, we can't have sex in the bed that you're sharing with your son. We should go to my residence." He nodded in gracious deference to the superior genius of his genius as she continued to lead him to the Apartment.

While the distance between the two residences was less than 50 steps, it took the partners more than ten minutes to arrive at the door as their path was interrupted by kisses, touches, laughter and brief exchanges of words of love and physical admiration.

And re-dressing.

Before entering, Booth paused to allow Brennan four buttons of modesty knowing that Chloe was in waiting service at the residence. He moved to stand close behind Brennan aware that his own modesty had been completely compromised by the very welcome actions of his partner.

Before Brennan had the chance to pull the key from her pocket, Chloe had opened the door to the residence.

"Oh!" Brennan exclaimed, surprised at the greeting. "Hello Chloe!" Booth grinned at how quickly Bones had changed from hot, breathy and sexy to proper and authoritarian Brennan.

"Yes, Dr. Brennan. Agent Booth please. Do come in."

Ever the inquisitive agent and scientist – even in their elevated states of arousal – both were curious to learn how Chloe knew of their arrival. Had they been that loud?

Sensing their inquiry, Chloe offered. "I receive an alert upon the approach of a key holder when they are within twenty feet of the door. There are tags in your keys that provides the information. It allows me to provide support in the instance you require assistance with packages or anything else upon re-entry.

Still standing close behind her. Booth leaned in over Brennan's ear to comment "Well, that can definitely come in handy, especially after one of your shopping sprees, huh Bones?"

Brennan briefly turned back to Booth to convey her mild irritation with his comment. "Well, I've become quite adept at managing well, even with my hands full." Her right hand slipped behind her to cup her misbehaving man. He gulped, attempting to mitigate his surprise by bracing both of his hands on Brennan's shoulders.

Chloe looked down successfully hiding her smirk at Brennan's surreptitious yet very obvious grope of the FBI agent. Looking back up, she queried "Is there anything that I can prepare for you and Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan?"

"Only privacy for right now, Chloe. Thank you. Agent Booth and I will be retiring to my bedroom for a few hours. I know Agent Booth will want to have something to eat prior to our scheduled afternoon lunch. If you could see to it that a plate of bread, cheese and fruit can be prepared and brought to us at around 2:00 please?"

Chloe nodded. "Very good, Dr. Brennan. The refrigerator has also been stocked with Agent Booth's favorite ale as you requested. There's also wine and organic smoothie beverages for you and Dr. Saroyan. Also, there is water and fruit juices for Young Master Booth."

"Thank you Chloe. I also expect that I will require housekeeping for my bedroom after our…rest." Brennan quickly adjusted her terminology at Booth's cautionary squeeze to her hip.

While Chloe nodded at the final instructions and excused herself, Brennan's brain caught up to a comment that Booth had made earlier in the week. She turned to Booth delighted to share that she had figured out something that Booth said he would explain to her.

Booth looked amusingly at his excited little nerd, "What, Baby?"

Upon the click of the door, she exclaimed. "In consideration of the possible condition of bed linens after having sexual relations, I have drawn the conclusion that the phrase 'wet spot' may serve as a colloquial term related to the spilling of seminal fluid and perhaps even vaginal fluid onto sheets! And…the uncomfortable experience of one of the two partners having to recline in said location. Am I correct?"

Booth grinned sweetly as his lady, very amused that somewhere in all of her genius mind that she still had time to think about the wet spot. "Yes, Bones! That is exactly the case."

She shifted satisfyingly, proud of her conclusion. "I am very pleased that my understanding of humor is catching up to your own."

Booth smiled, silently chuckling that she was happy that she had figured out a humorous comment about 65 hours after it was made. He watched as Brennan's expression shifted again, back to_ that l_ook. That hungry, aroused look. Unconsciously, his hips popped toward her, jealous of the distance that was between them.

She rubbed his chest and arms as she pulled him further into the residence. "I would imagine that my cosmetic case is in the bathroom." She said coyly. He nodded realizing that this would be where she had packed the condoms. Side by side, arm in arm they walked to Brennan's bathroom, stroking each other's sides along the way. Brennan immediately located her cosmetic case on the long counter that paralleled the length of the bathroom mirror.

Booth followed close in behind her, slipping his arms around her waist as he waited for her to unpack the case. Brushing her hair out of the way, he pressed his mouth to a spot behind her right ear, whispering. "Better bring the whole box."

He continued to lick and suck at her neck, and from her reflection in the bathroom mirror, he noticed the pronounced curl of her lip in one of her sexy side grins. She obviously was piqued by his comment. She leaned back into him. With every shift to get closer only accelerated her impatience to disrobe - him first, then her.

Booth continued to watch in the mirror as Brennan reacted to his touch. He had to repress his snickers at her obvious increasing frustration. His erection was strengthening as he regarded her. She had never failed to intrigue his watchful eyes.

For most of their career, he resorted to stolen gazes and side glances, realizing early the dangerous power of attraction that her direct gaze had on him. How many times had he almost jumped across the table at the diner, in the interrogation room, in his office, at the Jeffersonian, anywhere - just to taste her sweet lips again? He had been enchanted by that first kiss seven years ago.

And here they now stood. Finally in love. Finally ready. Finally free.

Free to touch each other, to state intentions of love.

To make love.

Very ready to move their lovemaking to the bedroom, Brennan turned to Booth with an eager smile. She unbuttoned his shirt - well, just the few buttons left from her earlier efforts. Booth serenely watched as she happily grazed her hands across his chest, shoulders and arms as she removed his shirt.

She licked her lips at her unwrapped treat. Booth fed her hunger with a soft kiss, and Brennan moved to unbuckle and unbutton his jeans. She pushed him towards her bedroom door, but was met by the Wall of Booth.

Obviously not expecting the delay, Brennan searched Booth's face, silently imploring him to let her have him.

His serene smile had not changed. He stood there, looking at her, taking in the intensity of her wanting, begging eyes.

"I see you Bones." he stated plainly.

"I see you too, Booth." she was confused by the comment, but certain in the safety of a reciprocation especially given her urgency to fuck him.

Booth's eyes grew wider. "I mean _I see you, Bones. _I **know** who you are. And I want to know that I am - . How it makes me feel to _know you_ - I am..."

"Dazzled?" she offered briefly allowing her rationalism to be bested by Avalon Harmonia's oracle. Immediately she regretted her unguarded comment.

But Booth brightened. "Yeah! _Dazzled._ That fits Bones! I am dazzled by you - who you are." His eyes filled with happy tears as he peeled off her blouse. I belong to you. No one has ever made me feel-. The love that I feel for you, it's- I'm so lucky Bones. And it's because you let me - you let me _know you_. I will never take it for granted. I promise."

Her heart soared and Brennan's eyes also began to well up. "I _know_ you too, Booth. I consider myself fortunate to be loved - and known - by such a good man, the best man I know." Her quivering lips crushed to his, tears falling freely between them. Parting, they laughed at their emotional exchange.

With a mischievous smile, Brennan reattempted to coax Booth to the bedroom. But he was having none of it. Booth had made a decision.

He wanted Brennan to watch what he was about to do to her. After all of his glimpses in the mirror at them in the past twenty minutes it had dawned on him: forensic anthropologists were observers.

What better way to prove to his theory of love to his partner, than for her to observe?

"We're staying right here Bones."

Brennan's forehead knotted in a confused but equally curious knot. She huffed out a laugh "what?"

He unbuttoned her trousers and then turned her toward the mirror. "You're going to watch, Bones."

He stroked his palm low across her belly, fingers dipping into her panties, lightly grazing against the start of her soft hair. He leaned his head over her shoulder, his mouth brushing against her cheek. Brennan leaned back against his body, intrigued by his wandering hand. She caught his eye in the mirror and with a curious smile, she whispered huskily "Watch?"

"Um hmm." he replied. With his left hand, he pulled her trousers off. She stepped out of them and her shoes quickly as he kissed the back her her neck, and between her shoulder blades. His right hand continued his tease towards her sex. "You're going to watch me make love to you Bones. You're going to watch me, watching you." His voice was low and vibrating against her neck. He watched as Brennan's eyes flashed at his words and her mouth parted slightly in eager anticipation.

"Watch. You?" Her eyes couldn't decide whether to focus on his hands or his face. He grazed his fingers up the front of her and lifted her hair from her shoulders. He kissed at either side of her clavicle before dropping her hair back on her shoulders. Brennan breathed out a sigh at the simple touch of his mouth. He grinned briefly at her face in the mirror before dropping his gaze to her shoulders. He slid the straps of her bra from her shoulders kissing the spots where the straps had been. He unclasped it with ease - peeling it off of her slowly.

He had not yet looking at her breasts, he watched her eyes.

Her breathing was now consistently stunted. The intensity of his gaze was disarming. Brennan had never felt so exposed, and she loved it. While her expression gave nothing away but observation, her body betrayed her as it angled back to feel his.

_When was he going to touch me?  
_

His body was hard against hers, but she wanted his hands on her - everywhere.

The faintest of moans could be heard from her as he finally allowed his eyes to drop onto her breasts. His hands slipped up her over them -_ finally._ Brennan felt her knees give slightly at his touch, but Booth's body followed the action, bracing against her as he guided her to stand up again fully. The feel of his burgeoning erection against her rear was bliss.

Booth gently squeezed her breasts, his massive hands easily managing to cup her swells while simultaneously teasing her nipples. Brennan blinked, her eyes becoming heavy lidded with each caress. She leaned further back into him, turning her head so that he would kiss her lips.

She was rewarded with a hot wet kiss. But Booth's plan was working, she wanted to continue to watch. She turned back to the mirror, waiting expectantly for her partner's next move.

He turned her to the side so that she could watch him journey down her body, pulling off her panties. On his way down, he paused twice - once to bite and suckle at each nipple and once to shove his tongue against her clit and then down into her deep wet heat. Back went her head in sheer joy at his mouth against her. But only briefly, so that she could continue to watch his ministrations - first in front of her, and then in the mirror.

She threaded her right hand in his hair to encourage his actions but also to not obstruct her view. His time against her was too brief for her liking, but as he returned up her body, he rewarded her again. This time with the drop of his jeans and boxers.

She grinned greedily at the sight of Seeley Jr. and the Booths - quite obviously ready - for their debut on Bandstand. Her delicate fingers stroked his cock as she imagined the feel of him inside of her. She caressed down his erection, gently cupping the duo. She watched in fascination how aroused Booth was by the simple touch of her hand. She loved the sight of him this way - so wanting, so relaxed.

So ready to fuck her.

Their eyes met again, both of them knowing the time was near. Both smiled and without discussion, they kissed, knowing that this would be the last time that their lips would touch for some time.

When they did meet again, Brennan would finally have her evidence.

He turned her again fully toward the mirror, neither able to tear their eyes from each other. Booth pressed his body against hers, the left hand slipping up to again grope her breast and his right hand down between her legs, massaging her increasingly swollen folds. She could feel the tease of his cock against her bottom. He nipped at her ear.

Before shifting from her ear back to biting her neck. He whispered "You're mine."

Brennan was on fire. Booth's words pulled her out of a trance and into a frenzy. He stared, challenging her to refuse his claim. Her tether to rational thought had escaped. All she wanted in that moment was to be his - for him to claim her; for him to possess her; for him to dominate her. Her body was vibrating with a need and a certainty that she had never felt before.

_She was his._

Booth remained pressed against hers as he reached for a condom with his left hand while his right continued to finger tease her. Brennan observed the action of his left hand as if in slow motion.

This was it for her, she realized. He's as much mine as I am his. No more running. No more walls.

In that moment, a condom between them felt like another wall.

The speed of the moment reached a crescendo for her as he began to tear it open. "No!" she gasped swatting the prophylactic from his hand. His eyes met hers in the mirror, obviously alarmed by her action, scared that she was panicking.

She could barely breathe. Her heart was racing and tears streamed down her face. Tears of happiness. "No more barriers" raced out of her mouth. Her eyes locked with her partner's, and Booth saw the silent, desperate plea in his lover's eyes.

His worry was replaced by a classic grin. She was ready to make a pact to be with him. They were making a pact to be together.

Together.

They both understood the risk of this decision and neither could foresee an outcome that they weren't ready to face.

Together.

In the mirror, their eyes locked, both nodding in agreement at their decision. He was worth the risk. She was worth the risk.

Love in its purest form.

"No more barriers, Bones" was his hot reply against her neck. He bent his knees slightly seeking her entrance. She leaned forward slightly, breathless in anticipation. Their eyes remained locked as he slipped into her.

"Oh!" she gasped.


	25. Chapter 25: Plato's Theory

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic, Threesquares and Covalent Bond postings. (What a joy to get the gift of a Razztaztic posting today! Yay!)_

06/06/2013 - A/N: While I'm more of a dove than hawk, I am also the aunt to a few young men who have enlisted to protect our country. With my pride and admiration of their service also comes my regard for those who have fought before them, especially those dwindling numbers of soldiers who fought on D-Day and in WWII in either the Pacific or European theaters.

Given the solemnity of today's anniversary, it feels a tad self-aggrandizing to remark about reviews, but I have to thank all of you who have commented on the story, your comments and feedback are unexpected and really nice to receive!

I must comment that my favorite from last chapter coming from SamJayandHolyMae who basically b-slapped me for where I stopped :) last chapter. That was hilarious! I must also thank maneu who totally got my point - Sweets _is_ creepy (even the lovable can be creepy people; reflexively, the creepy can be lovable). Also to uscgal04 who posts the nicest reviews! And finally, much appreciation to Covalent Bond, whose POV has inspired what will be a Father's Day companion piece to" Ma Bone Day".

Like Mr. Hanson, Mr. Nathan & company - I came to the conclusion that their first time really should belong mostly to B&B. But that's not to say I won't examine their subsequent engagements.

Please enjoy this (relatively) short chapter while I'll edit (and re-edit and re-edit) the funeral / Inspector Pritchard chapters. - W

* * *

"Heya Wendell, do you mind if I eat with you guys?"

Wendell brightened at the request of Booth's Mini-me. The Mayfair-touring Jeffersonian team had decided to compromise their afternoon lunch plans and decided to grab sandwiches at a local shop in Mayfair. Ever the insatiable Americans, the team had _not_ cancelled their lunch, but simply wanted to supplement whatever British meal that each was certain would not accommodate their voracious appetites with a bite from the neighborhood. The team had gathered a few tables together, and Wendell and Arastoo had claimed spots at the end of one of the tables.

Arastoo smiled politely as Wendell suggested the spot across beside Mr. Vaziri. While Arastoo had been enjoying getting to know Dr. Saroyan in a non-work related atmosphere, he also recognized how beneficial to his career it would be to spend some quality time with the young man who could at any time become his tempestuous mentor's stepson.

Parker's face lit up as Mr. Vaziri made space for the him. "Hey LLPB!" Arastoo grinned at the nickname that Vincent had earned from his Jeffersonian colleagues, coined at its origin by Vincent.

Clark Edison stood in the checkout line, eyeing his seating options for his meal. While he enjoyed working with Dr. Saroyan and Dr. Hodgins tremendously, he saw this trip as an opportunity to get to connect with his fellow interns a bit more. After an odd – yet professional – conversation with Fisher, Clark had decided to eat "with the Boys."

Parker's legs flung back and forth under the table as he chewed thoughtfully on his pickle. His face knotted in a Brennan-like frown as he considered new data that he had recently gathered.

"Hey, do you guys think that my Dad will marry Dr. Bones?"

Wendell's eyebrows shot up his forehead as his buddy's kids' directness. Arastoo grinned politely, assuming Parker was reading into observations that they all had grown used to through the years. Arastoo responded. "Uh, Parker. I think that that's probably a conversation that you would want to have with your Dad. I'm sure he cares about Dr. Brennan, but who better than him to answer your question?"

Parker shook his head at Arastoo's suggestion, then aped his and Wendell's chin-up nods at Clark and Fisher as they sat down beside Wendell and Parker respectively. "Hey Little Man!" Clark greeted enthusiastically. "You and I got the same meal, huh?" Clark and Parker bumped fists as Fisher frowned at what he perceived to be his under heated Shepard's pie.

Meanwhile, Wendell winked at his Persian counterpart's appropriately neutral response at Parker. Still, knowing what he knew, he was curious. "Arastoo's right, ParkMan – you should really talk to your Pop about this. But, why do you ask?"

Parker grinned his father's grin as he recalled what he had seen earlier. Little did his father or Dr. Bones know that Dr. Hodgins had let Parker double-back to the apartment to get the digital camera. And what an eyeful he had seen of his dad and Dr. Bones.

"Well, because I know my Dad loves Dr. Bones." Parker state matter-of-factly.

Clark shook his head in exasperation, wondering if any member of the Jeffersonian, FBI and/or any of their extended family could discuss anything other than Brennan and Booth's unavoidable coupling. At least Parker wasn't covering territory that they all had already agreed upon.

"_AND _– " he continued, leaning into the table of men with a conspiratorial grin " I just saw my Dad grabbing Dr. Bones' **butt**….."

Clark coughed. Choking a bit on his veggie sandwich.

"_AND -_ **her boobs**" he stated, chuckling like only a ten year old snickers about boobs. "I saw her boobs!"

In what seemed like a simultaneous movement, Clark dropped his napkin and picked up his tray, heading to sit on the other side of Dr. Saroyan, mumbling "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no…." away from any further awkward details.

Wendell & Fisher chuckled. Arastoo huffed, eyebrows raised in surprise at his counterparts' lack of surprise.

Parker looked a the table of Squinterns for some feeback. "Well?"

* * *

**Buddhists.**

_Fucking Bones. _

Literally, I was fucking Bones, and _Fucking Bones_ had invaded my head with a comment that she had made to me at thousand years ago.

About _Buddhists_.

She had said "Buddhists believe that if you lose yourself in a moment, without distraction or desire, you experience the truth."

God, she was irritating, when she said shit like this. Shit that I couldn't forget. Shit I love to remember.

Shit that is so apropos right now.

I watched my naked, beautiful, partner - my best friend - writhe in ecstasy against me, encased by my arms. Watching me prove my love to her.

_She was experiencing truth._

Her eyes were locked on me. There was no _distraction._

The sensation of being inside her – filling her, her tight walls welcoming me. We were beyond _desire_.

This was **truth.**

"Bones, you make me so happy, Baby."

Jesus, she feels amazing. She is home.

I have never felt this way before_. I knew_, but I did not know this feeling, this incredible feeling, was possible.

"I'm yours, Bones. You're it for me, Baby. Just. Incredible."

* * *

With only one arm around me, I feel more secure at his grip than any gun's protection can make me feel.

He is everywhere around me right now. All of my senses are honed to Booth and his actions.

The delicious scent of him consumes me. The mix of his soap, his shaving products…_him_ – common to me, but even more intoxicating mixed with our pheromones.

His is voice in my ear, vibrating against my neck, my cheek. The assertions of his love for me, his ownership of me. My ownership of_ him._ They are whispers, but yet they surround and reverberate through my whole body.

**_Oh God_**, the taste of him. Although our position allowed me only limited ability to taste him, each tease of my mouth to his was a sweet delight.

_And the sight of him._ I can't, I can't process this data quickly enough. He is _making love to me_.

_Oh God._

His eyes have not left mine as he's rendered me unable to stand without his assistance. He has challenged me to not look away. And what I see – I have never felt so cornered, so unable to escape. He is **willing** his love into me with every incredible stroke.

He. Feels. So. Good.

He's holding me – his arms across my torso – so that I cannot run away – from his face, from his love, from my fear. This feeling – I have not experienced it before – makes me want to never leave this grip. I want him this close to me always, I want the look on his face on me forever.

I am terrified. And happy.

_Oh God._

I am his. He is mine. We are one.

We are each other's halves to achieve a whole.

This – this feeling, this is not physical.

I can barely breathe.

_Oh_, he feels so good.

"Don't. Ever. Stop. Booth."

His stare. That love. My love.

"Oh my God, Booth. Yes!"

**_Yes._**

* * *

Booth thundered into Brennan with a force comparable only to the uncontrollable hum of her own orgasm. Competitive to the end, they rode their orgasms out with the most erotic staring contest ever played, neither willing to play the role of the vanquished.

The intensity of the experience, the reckoning with this man's love almost broke Brenan. As she watched – and felt – and heard - Booth come inside her, her levels of disorientation had reached new peaks.

He watched her – so in love and so terrified that at any moment she could escape him again, sentencing him to even more time to not love her.

But she had faced her own truth. She was ready to accept his love.

It was Booth who broke first. The sight of her so loving, so free, so wanting of his affection was - unexpected. As her body withered from their explosive, mutual release, the rush of his relief, his love – hit him with the force of forty locomotives.

He gripped her, both of his hulking arms around her waist. Brennan reached back to grasp Booth to her and to remain standing. In the brief seconds that her eyes left his, tears began to rush from his face.

Brennan watched in the mirror as Seeley Booth began to cry. Her eyes widened in fear – had he realized that he had made a mistake? Did he regret their unprotected activity? Was their engagement not as he expected? Like quicksilver, scenarios ran through Brennan's mind. Yet for the first time in her entire love life, she prioritized the needs of her partner.

She spun towards him, relieved that he allowed her movements without objection. Brennan's always examining eyes peered at him, his sobs coming into control with one soothing word from Brennan.

"Booth."

Booth allowed the softness of her Brennan's front to meld with his own. Brennan centered Booth's face in her hands as she searched for answers, for a different interpretation of the truth that she felt she had acquired.

But she saw none. What she saw was how happy her partner had welcomed her concern. How sweetly that his tearful gaze regarded her. Her eyes began to tear in realization of what they had just accomplished.

Love.

Requited.

After seven years of dancing.

Simultaneously, they laughed and cried at the high that they were experiencing.

"I love you" she stated affectionately. More affectionately than should be expected from the stoic anthropologist.

"Bones…" Booth hummed.

Her pert little nose sought comfort in contact with his own. Their lips met briefly, tenderly.

"I'm yours, Booth." she breathed against his lips. He parted her lips with his tongue, engaging Brennan in a hypnotic kiss. She easily received his mouth.

Challenging him to recall, she added "Do you love me?"

Automatically, Booth knew how he would respond, and immediately he replied "Yeah, do you want me to prove it to you?"

Brennan beamed at her partner's recall of a story that she was afraid to publish, let alonE tell. Yet it was _always _there between them, wasn't it? His knowledge of her heart.

"If you're not too sleepy…" she completed.

Booth slipped his hand around to Brennan's bottom, lifting her up and fastening her legs around his body. Excitedly, she wrapped her arms and torso around him like a vine. Off he carried her to her bedroom for round two.

And round three...


	26. Chapter 26: Climbing Everest

_Created April 2013 - __I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic and Threesquares postings._

* * *

A/N: 07/07/2013: Happy Independence Day to my American Friends. What a lovely summer's weekend to celebrate! FYI: I'm a Jersey Girl by birth and spent my college years here as well. For this reason, I dedicate this chapter to James Gandolfini, who attended a high school that my high school competed against in football. While I culturally may not have agreed with all facets of the Sopranos, there's no denying that he masterfully and truthfully played a character that I have known. If you're not from Jersey, you may not understand, but that's OK. While I love DC, NJ holds my heart.

And as a Philly Boy, Booth knows it, too.

* * *

Woooooo!

I can't move. Now my body understands what my brain feels like after one of our arguments. Meanwhile, Bones is astride me in one of her yoga poses – a straddled child's pose…

_Rubbing?_

Nah. She's not kindling.

_Squirming._

Ehhhhhhhh...No. I know what it's like when My Little Fidgeter squirms.

"Mmmmmm. Booth. I've always admired the breadth of your mandible." She licks and sucks at the side of my jaw.

_….Writhing? _

No. At least not right now, heh-heh…

_Wiggling!_

Nuh-uh. Close, but…

…Full body….nuzzling? Yeah, but, not poetic.

Sigh! _Mmmmmmm…._

That tongue.

Even against my jaw, it's – wonderful.

"You have such a well-defined, prominent mental protuberance."

I don't know what the fuck she's talking about - it just feels…fantastic.

_Wriggling?!_

"And your zygomatic arch is very pleasing." Her juicy lips nip at my cheek.

….

Wriggling!

Yeah - **_wriggling_**. A subtle _writhe_ balanced with a slight but consistent _wiggle_.

God this is heavenly.

Bones wriggling her beautiful, sticky, naked body against me.

_Wriggling._

She slides, -er, wriggles up me and her sweet breasts tickle my shoulders as she kisses my eyebrows and forehead.

"But what I love the most is the manifestation of your supraorbital ridge. You are very well-structured, Booth!"

I try to lean my neck up to bite at her delicious breasts, but I can't. I'm…wiped out.

Exhilarated, but wiped out.

"I have always found you pleasing to look at…anatomically speaking." She looks down on me, slightly apologetic about her objectification, but more predatory, by far.

I'm her prey. Her conquered prey. I can barely move.

I'm spent. I am Flat Stanley right now. A deflated version of me is recovering between her legs, but I feel no shame. My Boys performed an incredible show. As expected, the venue was magical.

Her sex talk? Not so much.

"So, this is your idea of post-coital sweet nothings, Bones? Very hot. Give me some recovery time, and my ridge will be super orbital once again."

She slithers back down my body, scoffing at my tease. On her way, she holds my face in her delicate hands, pecking my mouth before she travels down further. Then she nestles herself to left of me – imagine that – locking her soft shoulder under my left armpit. I have just enough strength to lift my arm. I pull her close to me as I recover from round three.

She is still wriggling. But minutes ago….

Minutes ago, she was riding and writhing. Bones was _riding_ me.

Her hands on my chest. On my shoulders. Nails scraping my thighs….

Shit, how I _loved_ her hands on my thighs….

Her tensed body arched away from me, but still so tightly locked to me. Watching her obvious pleasure and intensity betray her usually controlled countenance. Watching her bite her lip, hearing her whimper; watching her pretty tits bounce. My hands on her soft curvy hips. My thumbs stretched to tease her pert little clit every so often. My hips bucking up, my stomach tightening from each pulse into her.

God, how I loved this woman. Her noises. Her moans… the way she said my name when she was right there.

Gasped my name.

Cooed my name.  
_  
Screamed my name._

Amazing._  
_

I'm Tantalus set free. I press her body into me with one hand while the other slips into her hair.

Her hand stretches out across the plane of my chest. While I can see it moving lazily back and forth, I'm more akin to the soft flutter of her eyelashes against the join of my arm and shoulder.

"What are you thinking about Booth?" she asks, her voice: throaty and low.

_We finally made it to this moment. _

I'm thinking about what it means to finally be _here_ with Temperance Brennan. No more ducking from being together. Being together - our lovemaking – engaging with the effort of Springsteen playing eight encores.

I can barely move, but I love it. I love feeling like…like a Springsteen fan after the eighth encore.

I kiss her forehead "You're my home, Bones. _Metaphorically_. You make me so happy."

I feel her face curl into a smile against my chest and her body relaxed. She snuggles even closer. "I understand the sentiment. I find that I'm unable to recall a comparable instance where I have felt more content. And sated."

She couldn't see me, but my face looked like I had won the lottery. And I have.

* * *

I am enjoying the silence that has fallen between us. It allows me to recover thoughts and emotions that I had not yet had the chance to examine.

Booth told me that I make him happy. While I realize that he's experiencing a run off of the levels of dopamine, norepinephrine and adrenaline that our quite satisfying engagements have produced, I am also aware that there are more than chemicals at play.

He loves me. He called me "home".

I cannot recall receiving a better accolade. In fact, at this moment, I feel – metaphorically – whole...and womanly.

While both of our pasts herald substantially unfavorable memories of home life – primarily abandonment and abuse – it is these fundamental experiences that equivalently fuel Booth's and my respective desires to _achieve and repel_ the ideal sense of belonging that "home" represents.

Or, at least that's what Master Chef Wyatt suggested.

Having hired the former Dr. Wyatt to cater our holiday Jeffersonian fundraiser, I was intrigued by his postulation, especially given his stated dubiousness upon observation of Booth with Hannah that evening.

Master Chef Wyatt argued that the romantic promise of Booth and I had yet to be resolved. He stated with confident certainty that our romantic destinies – though circuitous – were inevitably tied to each other. That the relationship that Booth had with Hannah was the output of a metaphorical game between Booth and me, which Master Chef Wyatt referred to as "chicken." Chef Wyatt asserted – that my earlier rejection of Booth and my decision to go to Maluku caused him to question his predetermined "long play" strategy to win my metaphorical heart. Essentially – he stated - Booth "blinked".

At the time, I did not understand his theory. While familiar with the bird, I was unaware of a chicken game, nor the rules associated with it, so I made a mental note to ask Angela about it later that evening. Chef Wyatt of course was none the wiser, particularly since he had been speaking with Dr. Sweets, and was unaware that I was privy to their conversation.

While I know it was poor form for me to eavesdrop, I believe it was equally nefarious for two gentlemen with doctoral achievements to speak so openly about two people who had been under both of their care.

_Gossips_.

In spite of all of their education and degrees, their conclusions amounted to the equivalent rationale of Avalon Harmonia.

Yet for all of the deficiencies of his former field, Wyatt had been right again, Booth considers me "home." And I….I can accept – however figurative and irrational – that Booth is my "home." I too understand his point that he and I have both resisted this outcome, that at different times the both of us have felt that we didn't deserve this.

I hate psychology, especially when it accurately interprets my truth.

What I hate more is that for so many unrecoverable years, I have denied myself and Booth the belonging, security and pleasure of us being together.

_I have kept him from home._

* * *

Booth could feel Brennan tense against him. He squeezed her to his body in an attempt to nudge her into relaxing. To no avail.

"Bones? What are _you_ thinking about? You okay?" He asked softly, concerned by the change.

Brennan leaned up to look at Booth eye to eye. She regarded him with concern and regret. Immediately, Booth recognized the crisis on her face. "Baby, what's wrong?" He braced himself for the worst.

"Booth, I – I'm so sorry." She winced, sitting up beside him.

The unexplained pain on her face was killing Booth. "Sorry for what, Bones?" Booth followed her, sitting up as well. He placed one hand on her shoulder and one on her right hand.

Brennan looked down, covering his hand with her left. "It's all my fault. I have been selfish and thoughtless. The impact of my actions directly affect you."

Booth caught on.

"Oh no, Bones. It's not your fault. **_We_ **decided not to use anything, not _**you**_".

He kissed her shoulder. "You were not being selfish or thoughtless at all, Baby. I'm so glad that our first time together happened this way. I'm not afraid of the risk that we took, you know, not using anything. Don't be upset, what happened was beautiful, Bones. Don't be afraid."

She looked at him in confusion.

He thought that he was obviously not convincing her.

Her eyes ached with the pain she was feeling, but she was still unable to speak. Booth turned Brennan towards him. He slid his fingers into her hair, and then pulled her toward him, cupping her face with both hands. Gently he suggested, "If you think about it, if it wasn't for my pesky brain tumor, right now you'd probably be mother to our one year old…." He smiled sweetly at her with a raised eyebrow while she processed his words.

He watched as her expression flashed with – something – at the suggestion of her being the mother of a child that they had together…was it hope? Yes, but only for a fleeting moment. As she continued to think more on it, she began to cry. As if in slow motion, Booth watched her lip curl in further distress.

When she cried, he always felt it in the pit of his belly. A part of Booth's heart had been sacrificed ages ago to a vulnerability that Brennan exposed only to him. He smiled slightly at the feeling; even though she was upset, that the smartest and bravest woman that Booth would ever know could so easily break before him felt like a privilege. He continued to stroke the sides of her face with his thumbs, waiting for her to respond. He fell even more in love with her at the quiver of her lips.

She gripped his arms, allowing her hands to hang off as she huffed out a laugh of tearful frustration. For as long as and as well as he knew Brennan, Booth more often guessed incorrectly than right as to what had upset her. "No, Booth."

"No?"

"No, I'm talking about the sex." She tilted her head in his hands as she watched the knot form in his forehead.

"Uh, help me out here, Bones. I kinda thought that's what I was talking about. You know, the unprotected sex we had? My super sperm? And you're super fertile right now? Is that not what you're talking about? Help me out here, Bones, because if you think you're selfish in bed, Baby – well, then I don't think I can survive you being charitable." He teased.

She smiled weakly and sighed, always appreciative that Booth never gave up on trying to coax her out of a sour mood, and mildly amused that Booth's concern was distracted by a glance at her naked torso upon the heave of her bosom.

"Booth, my decision-making related to us has been very poor. By resisting my earnest regard and attraction for you, I have denied us years of enjoying a romantic partnership."

"Oh!" Booth chuckled at her statement briefly until he realized that Brennan was truly upset. His worry mirrored her own as she continued.

"And, like you've said yourself – at this point – we would already have been in a co-parenting phase of our relationship." Tears rushed down her cheeks. "My fear and intransigence has cost us time together, Booth."

"Wait! Whoa, Bones!" He tried to calm her with a soft kiss. Whispering against her lips. "That's not true, Baby. We were not ready to be together. I know that now."

"That's not true Booth." She protested, leaning her forehead to his. "You _knew._ When it comes to things like these, you always know. And if I am being completely honest with you, I must admit that I have loved you for some time now. But I was afraid. And. And…" she shuddered.

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Each 'hey' was softer but firmer than the one before. "Bones, don't do this to yourself. You didn't do anything wrong. **We **were not ready for this, okay? **This **is our time." He pulled her torso to him, cradling her head on his shoulder. "This is our time, right now, okay? Everything that we've been through – we had to go through, in order to be here, right now, okay?"

She continued to shake against him, but he could feel her calming at his swaddling. He rocked them slightly as he rubbed her shoulder, down her arm. He kissed into her hair. "I would wait for you forever, Bones."

Brennan pressed her hand into his chest. She looked up into Booth's eyes. There she saw the same look in his eyes that was there before they first made love – calm, serenity, love. There was barely a breath between their faces. "I know it sounds irrational and hyperbolic, but think I've always been in love with you Booth."

Booth smiled. "I know."

She scoffed, wiping tears away as she nuzzled again to his shoulder. "And I _have_ been responsible for lost time between us."

Booth pulled them both to lie back on the bed. "I know. But so have I, Bones. There have been times when I was so scared of how I felt about you, about us. I put things between us."

"Really?" she muffled against his neck. Through the reverberation of her voice, she sounded so young and innocent.

"Yeah, Bones." He sighed, kissing into her hair again.

They lay silently for a minute or so before Booth continued. "You scared me straight, you know? When we first met, every other thrill I was chasing seemed so pointless. You helped me find purpose, Temperance. If we had never met…. I don't know what would have happened to me".

Booth let the weight of his words settle over him. "Back then, I knew I wasn't in your league. _Way_ out of it. But I knew I wanted to train to maybe one day try out for starting shortstop."

She was silent.

"I'm using a baseball metaphor, Bones. Trying out for your league…" he hinted.

He felt the breath of her huff on his chest. "Yes, Booth, you've taught me that one before. Remember when we took Parker to see the Nats play the Phillies? And you got upset because I was explaining the physics of baseball to him?"

Booth chuckled at the recollection. She squeezed tighter to him, her body again relaxed. Booth continued.

"Yeah, I remember. We've gone through so many things together, huh? You became my best friend, Bones. My family. I have never had someone so close to me before, someone who knows me as well as you do. And, you accept me….You _challenge_ the Hell out of me… but you've always been there for me. I know I could tell you anything, Bones. I wanted to tell you more, to give you more, for us to be more. But the _more_ that we were together, the more I fell in love with you. And the more in love I fell, the scareder I became."

She thought about his words. Booth felt a single tear on his shoulder, but she remained relaxed.

"'Scareder' really isn't a word, Booth."

"Shush, you." He pulled his opposite arm over to bring her even closer. "Bones, even though I put things between us, know that every relationship that I've had since we've been partners has been to in an effort to dilute my feelings for you. Because I didn't want to **_scare_** you off."

"You had sex with other women because you we in love with me?"

"Okay, when you say it like that, it sounds sleazy."

She snickered. Whispering she returned "I understand what you mean, Booth. When I first met you, my - physical and emotional response to you was confusing. I was uncertain about the draw that I had to you. At times, it felt beyond my control."

He turned on his side to face her. She peered up to his eyes cautiously before she continued, knowing that he may not like what she was to say next. She placed her hand on his chest.

"I, I- decided to approach you like I approach an experiment. I formed a hypothesis that perhaps my attraction to you was an outlier from how I felt about other men. Since we worked together and I was physically drawn to you, I sought sexual partners and companionship from others who were stimulating to me sexually, intellectually and compatible to my demeanor, since these were the areas in which I was cataloging _our_ interactions."

Booth smiled at her application of logic. In his mind, regardless of what she would tell him next, she had ended up in this bed with him. He stroked her hair as he gestured her to continue.

"There of course, were secondary and tertiary factors that were taken into consideration. Education, like interests, family history, social circles, ambition, monetary compatibility…. But, while on paper others may have demonstrated areas in which they excelled…" she sighed, expecting him to gloat at this next disclosure. "None of them compared to you, Booth."

And, as expected, Booth grinned broadly as he rewarded her admission with a kiss. She smiled watching that her words seemed to re-energize him. He propped his head in his hand. "Not even Sully?"

She smiled. "You have focus and purpose."

"Professor Scuzzball?"

She rolled her eyes. "I find that I enjoy teaching you about anthropology. While you and I are competitive with each other, there is no enmity. And, most importantly, I trust you."

He was enjoying this tremendously. "Hacker?"

"Really, Booth?"

He chuckled. "Okay, what about Mr. Sex Toy? Mr. Aqua Lung Towelboy, Mark Gaffney?"

Brennan donned a Cheshire grin. Immediately Booth regretted this game. Her cheeks and neck were flush, he supposed in recollection of their sexual encounters. Booth braced himself from the unfiltered, honest observations from his lady scientist.

"Mark was _definitely_ a skilled lover. Our engagements were very rigorous and quite satisfying. I would argue that he was the best sexual partner that I ever had."

Booth swallowed, nodding his head at her admission. He loved her because she was truthful, always. Sometimes it hurt. "Oh." He responded softly.

Brennan was not going to let him suffer. "Until now." She placed her right hand on his left cheek. "Now I know what it's like to make love, to have amazing, mind-interrupting sex with the man I love."

He silently thanked God for this woman. "Mind-interrupting?"

She squirmed. "I find that I have difficulty processing information when you touch me. This has never occurred before, Booth."

"Good to know."

She slipped her hands around his waist. He pulled her to him as he lay on his back again. "You're the best man I know, Booth. Your "whole" is far greater than the sum of your parts. This is a paraphrase of the philosopher, Aristotle, and it aptly explains what my conclusion is. And, for that reason, I love you, worms and all."

His body shook with a silent laugh. "You mean _warts_, Bones."

"Oh. Really? I guess that makes sense."

"Why is it exactly, that you – an anthropologist – are so bad at these types of colloquialisms?"

She thought about his question for a second, having never been asked. "Well, you know I don't read fiction, not even my own finished product. And I don't watch much television, where I imagine I definitely garner a wealth of knowledge about colloquialisms. Remember how effective I was on the Guido case?"

They both chuckled at the recollection of Bones' Jersey Girl experience. She had – to the point of pestilence – tried out her "Jersey" on him for weeks thereafter.

"By definition, a colloquialism is a word, phrase or paralanguage that is employed in conversational or informal language but not in formal speech or formal writing. Aside from you, Angela, Parker and my family, I really never had any casual relationships. As a child, because we moved so much, I never really had a chance to establish anything more than nominal relationships with other children. And when I went into foster care, I found that my survival was guaranteed by my silence, so I kept to myself a lot by reading. For many years, my only conversational engagements were with teachers and other authority figures. I believe that I've missed out on those types of relationships where a shared language is established. "

They laid there silently for a moment. Booth's heart had begun to race, metaphorically broken in reaction to her comment. She continued.

"As a student of anthropology, I've been more of an observer. I monitor and record, but I don't really engage. And, specifically, as a forensic anthropologist, I seem to do all the talking…."

Booth cracked up. "Bones! That was really funny!" He pulled her on top of him.

"Booth! I keep telling you that I am quite humorous._ Of course_ that was funny!" she settled on top of him.

He pulled her hair back with one hand. "Thank you, Temperance."

She smiled/frowned at his use of her first name. "For what, Booth?"

"For letting me see you."

Her forehead knotted in confusion. "Booth…" she began.

"You are this brilliant, incredible, fearless super scientist; best-selling author force. Parts of you belong to the world. But the super-secret parts of you? These belong to me. Thank you for that."

She smiled as she began to "wriggle" on top of him again. "My pleasure, Booth." She pulled him into a lazy kiss.

Booth hummed at the connection. Upon separation, his eyes remained closed and his grin: goofy as she stared down onto him. Slowly, he peered back up at her.

"When did you know, Booth?"

He knew immediately what she was talking about. "Wow. Complicated question, Bones!"

She stared patiently awaiting his reply. He pecked at her lips before continuing.

"Well, you cast a spell – metaphorically – on me after our first case. Like I said, I didn't feel ready for you, but I was willing to earn you. I would say, that I _knew_-knew that I was a goner when your life was really put in danger the first time."

"Oh, the mob case?"

"Uh, no."

"Earlier, or later?"

"Earlier."

She frowned, in disbelief that Booth thought that the Cleo Eller case put her in a position of risk.

"I don't know what case you're speaking of, Booth."

"Let's just say that once I decided that protecting you was far more important than my career, I was doomed to suffer."

"But that was New Orleans, Booth. I know what you did, withholding evidence…."

"Nuh-uh."

"No?"

"No."

She pursed her lips. "You're not going tell me, are you?"

"Nope." He grinned up at her.

"Even if I do this?" she slid down his naked, sticky body, wriggling over his recovering member.

"Nope." He repeated.

"What if I offered to…" she whispered very explicit, very dirty words into Booth's ear.

He grunted like a man, but then squeaked out his response. "Not happening, Babe."

She liked "Baby", but not really "Babe." "Don't call me 'Babe.'"

He laughed. "I think I've got you either way..._Babe."_

She won't settle. She stretches up and presses her forehead to his. "C'mon Booth." She whispers against his mouth before her tongue invades his.

While he shakes his head "no" to her, he thinks to himself:_ I'm going to need to add more miles to my running route. _

Bones pulls away from him. They both need oxygen after _that_ kiss. She's just smiling. Happy. She tests several angles before settling her nose and mouth against his. Satisfied finally with her right cheek pressed to his left, she muffled a command to him.

"Again."

"What!?" Booth squeaked out, having been convinced that like him, his partner was spent. Nervously, he pressed his head back into his pillow, searching for some distance in order to be able to eye his insatiable with a little lady. "Bones," he began cautiously, afraid to disappoint her.

"Booth, I am not going to wear you out. Your stamina is exceptional. Well, perhaps you could introduce more fluids to your daily intake, but I will not 'break you', as you say. You may be old, but I'm confident that with a little conditioning and a slight change to your diet…."

He can feel his body respond to her wriggling. He grins at the woman who loves him. "Not happening. No way that you're making me eat rabbit food." He turns her over, pinning her under the powerful weight of his very ready body. She smirks at him.

He smirks back. "Oh Bones. One more time. But then we really need to shower. We need to get up soon."

She grins broadly as she takes him in her hand to center him. "How about twice more? One here and once in the shower, Booth?" her voice is low, husky and very sexy. "After all, I must report my findings to Inspector Pritchard this evening…."

"Findings?"

"Yes. There's one metaphor that I know that I'm not getting wrong. Or that I'm finally getting right….Oh!" she gasped as he entered her again.

He grunted again, feeling welcome at the warmth of her. "What's that?"

"Climbing. Everest."


	27. Chapter 27: And Then There Was One

_Created April 2013 - __I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic, Threesquares, and Covalent Bond postings._

* * *

07/14/2013 - Happy Bastille Day. So glad to see 7/14 - July 13 2013 was a ridiculous and sad day, for many reasons.

FYI, Pritch and another special guest or two are coming in the next two chapters. I keep finding distracting vignettes to add that have slowed me down. Hopefully this last excerpt will tide you over!

* * *

"Oh. My. God!"

Daisy scurried out of the bathroom with exhilarated purpose. Unexpectedly, her recent conclusion was immediately validated by Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth, who had been speaking to each other further down the hallway.

On first glance, they looked as she had seen them many times before – Brennan amused with her arms crossed, leaning with her back against the wall, and Booth gesturing wildly - both of them invading each other's personal space just a little more than any other normal set of platonic friends.

But then, they both began to smile broadly. Brennan uncrossed her arms and pulled Booth by the belt buckle towards her. Booth placed one hand on the wall behind Brennan, and the other on her hip. He paused momentarily before he leaned tight into her as they shared a brief, chaste kiss. He then slipped his arm around her waist, and then to its resident spot at the small of her back, pulling her towards the direction of the dining room.

Daisy had been frozen in place by what she had witnessed. She had _just_ deduced that the partners were hooking up, and then to have her suspicions so immediately confirmed left her a bit lightheaded. She began to take deep cleansing breaths, as Lance had instructed her to do during times of great excitement. But this was too major - she could not hold back the "squee" that was erupting in her.

Almost immediately, Daisy found her mouth covered quickly by Dr. Hodgins' hand. He had come to look for Daisy, realizing that she may have been putting two-and-two together. While her squeal had begun at a relatively soft level, Hodgins had worked with her long enough to recognize that her decibels would only get louder, and quickly.

Before she could exact any damage, he pulled her into the living room, away from where everyone had gathered for a late lunch. She squeaked and whimpered under his bind. Keeping his hand over her mouth, he turned to face her. Her eyes danced in parallel degree with the enthusiasm that she was capping as she eagerly awaited him to release her.

Hodgins warned her with his piercing blue eyes and raised eyebrows to cool it. That he too knew the amazing news was helping Daisy to calm down. After a minute or so, her breath patterned back to a normal pace. She nodded at Hodgins to signal that she downs entitled. Sighing, knowing the risk that he was taking, he released his hand From over her mouth.

"Holy Shit!" she whispered, hopping up and down with equivalent glee that she had before.

Since she was at least muted in her efforts, Hodgins let her go. After years of reluctantly getting to know Daisy Wick, he knew that this outburst was far better than one of her poorly timed blurts. He stood, hands on his hips, waiting for her to settle down. He chuckled at the intern's elation of her recent discovery.

"Holy Shit! The they totally did it!"

* * *

_Sweets and Daisy listened to the Westminster Chimes of the doorbell play as they waited to access Drs. Brennan and Saroyan's residence. Sweets rubbed Daisy's back, amused by the grandiosity of the doorbell and the foreboding protectors etched into the front of the door. **Stand-ins for Booth**, he thought._

_They were greeted by Chloe, who escorted Sweets and Daisy toward the dining area where only Dr. Brennan was present. Chloe excused herself as the couple entered._

_Much to Daisy's surprise, Dr. Brennan appeared to be daydreaming. Daydreaming - an activity that neither ever suspected that the every-operating mind of Dr. Temperance Brennan knew how to do. And yet, there she sat at one end of the table, distractedly thumbing the top button of her blouse between her fingers with a faraway winsome look on her face. _

_Sweets interpreted this as a moment of introspection given the intent of their trip. "Dr. Brennan." he announced quietly. _

_Brennan turned from her thoughts, the soft smile on her face still present as she rose to greet the pair. "Oh, hello!"_

_"Hi Dr. Brennan!" Daisy returned cheerfully. "This residence is amazing!" she exclaimed. _

_"And you have a butler. That is wicked cool!" the young psychologist added emphatically._

_Brennan grinned. "Yes! Chloe and the rest of the team are very welcoming and hospitable. This residence is quite lovely. I've already come to enjoy it tremendously." She sighed with a genuine smile, unable to maintain eye contact with the duo. She shifted before moving towards and past Sweets and Daisy. "Would you like a tour?"_

_"Sure." They both responded. _

_As they began to walk through the residence, Brennan turned to pairs. "Did you enjoy your excursion through Mayfair?"_

_Sweets and Daisy looked at each other, both laughing nervously. "Oh, we didn't go, Dr. Brennan…" offered Sweets. _

_"We were having sex." Daisy stated frankly. After being caught several times by both Booth and Brennan in flagrante delicto since returning from Maluku, Daisy had resigned herself to honesty. _

_"Oh!" Brennan chuckled. "Good for you! Given the difficult week that we've all had, I know that coitus is a relieving distraction." _

_Sweets and Daisy looked at each other again. That was weird._

_"So you didn't go with everyone else, either Dr. Brennan?" asked Sweets. _

_"Ah, uh – no. I had some business to take care of…paperwork..." Her words drifted off as she tried to mask a smirk. _

_She walked them through Cam's "side" of the residence, moving toward hers. _

_"Wow, this place is incredible!" Daisy shared as they continued down the hallway. "And huge!"_

_"Yes!" Brennan said breathily. _

_An abbreviated tone rang through the residence, different from the earlier doorbell. Brennan offered Alan explanation. "That must be Cam. There's a different alert tone for key holders versus visitors. Will you please excuse me? Feel free to continue your tour." _

_"Sure." Sweets replied. He took Daisy's hand as they both watched Dr. Brennan go to greet her other guests. _

_"She's so wonderful, isn't she Lance?" asked Daisy dreamily. _

_"Yes, Daisy. She's really cool." Sweets offered. "She seems to be coping well. A little distracted perhaps, but well enough." _

___"Lance! Remember, we agreed! No-squinting-no-shrinking on this trip."_

_Again a tone sounded. This time, the pair heard the Westminster Chimes. They assumed that more of the team was entering the residence._

_"Sorry, Miss Daisy." He hugged her as he led her further down the hallway toward the living room._

_"Thank you Lancelot." She sang, even though she too recognized that her mentor's behavior was...off. "Before we join the others, I want to see Dr. Brennan's room. C'mon." _

_The pair entered the bedroom. Brennan had suggested earlier that the room was perhaps the most beautiful room in the residence. She had not exaggerated, Not tat either had expected her to. The gorgeous white poster bed and the cobalt accents throughout the room provided a tranquility that both knew Dr. Brennan deserved. _

_"Very nice." Sweets mumbled, brushing his hand across a chaise while Daisy peeked in on the closets. He wondered at why women loved closets. _

_The brief tone sounded again. Daisy and Sweets looked at each other. With both Cam and Brennan in the residence, they were curious as to who else would be currently holding keys to the residence. Perhaps it was the catering service? They shrugged their shoulders at each other. Sweets motioned at Daisy for them to exit._

_They headed for the door, and directly into Booth. _

_"Oh, hey! Sweets, Daisy! How are you guys doing? Finally came up for air, huh? Heh, heh!" _

_As expected, Sweets fawned over Booth. Daisy meanwhile eyed what was in Booth's hand. "Did you buy Dr. Brennan a gift Agent Booth? Awwww! Daisies and daffodils? That's so sweet!" _

_Booth held a note, flowers and a small shopping bag in his hand. "Uh, oh! Actually Parker did while in Mayfair with Hodgins and Cam. I, uh – stayed behind. I had some business to tend to...Paperwork!" _

_He placed the items on Brennan's pillow. "Uh, have you two seen Parker and Bones?" He asked. Still, he seemed to be looking around the room for **something**, not someone_

_"No. Dr. Brennan went to speak with Dr. Saroyan. You didn't see her yet? Didn't Parker come up with you?" _

_"Uh no, I just walked in. Parks came up with Hodgins."_

_"Oh." Daisy shook her head up and down, wondering…._

_Sweets couldn't help himself. "Dr. Brennan seems to be handling things, well Agent Booth. But if you think she needs to talk..."_

_Booth cut a look at Sweets. "Bones is fine, Sweets. C'mon. The both of you." _

_Always the Brennan Guard, he waited for the both of them to vacate Brennan's bedroom before following behind them. __Walking past Booth, Daisy noted that Booth must have changed his cologne. _

_Before escorting them down the hall, Daisy watched as Agent Booth quickly surveyed the bedroom floor. 'He's behaving oddly' she thought._

_ The trio headed back towards the dining room. While en route, they encountered Chloe._

_"Hello again, all. I was coming to gather you for lunch service. Ahum, Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan tells me that this belongs to you." She hands to Booth his gold lighter. _

_"Oh wow! Thanks Chloe! I didn't even realize that I had lost this. Thank you!"_

_"Of course, Sir."_

_The four walked towards the dining room, where lunch was being served buffet style. Sweets, Daisy and Booth greeted everyone upon entry. Sweets sat next to Fisher while Daisy sat between Sweets and Parker, who was in a very animated discussion with Dr. Brennan. _

_Upon seeing his Dad, Parker grinned broadly. Booth blushed and cleared his throat. "Hey Bones! Uh, ah – can I speak with you for a second?" _

_Brennan looked up at Booth, not having realized that Booth had entered the room. She smiled warmly at her partner, not having seen him since he left her company 20 minutes earlier. Their eyes remained locked as he returned the smile._

_What they had not realized was that almost the entire room – with the exception of Sweets and Daisy – was surreptitiously watching the exchange as well. Arastoo, standing next to Clark by the buffet whispered "**That**, is what we mean by 'eye sex', man." Clark rolled his eyes, but laughed couldn't help but laugh._

_Daisy watched her beautiful mentor rise to speak with Booth. Her cheeks and neck were flushed pink. She noted that Parker whispered something to Dr. Hodgins, a comment that left Parker giggling and Dr. Hodgins playfully scolding the young man to behave. _

_"Lance, something's up. don't you think that B&B are behaving oddly?" Daisy whispered to Sweets, however Sweets had been drawn quickly into a discussion with Fisher about the new Green Lantern movie, and now had moved onto plans to do a Harry Potter tour. _

_He turned distractedly towards his girlfriend. "Uh, Miss Daisy. You told me 'no shrinking', remember?"_

_Daisy rolled her eyes, annoyed at how quickly Lance had forgotten his earlier slip with Agent Booth. She sighed, deciding to instead check in with Dr. Hodgins and Parker on their day. _

_"Parker, I saw the pretty flowers that you got for Dr. Brennan. That was very nice of you!"_

_Parker looked at her confused. "Oh, I didn't get Dr. Bones any flowers. I got her an Oliver Twist figurine."_

_Daisy knotted her face in equal confusion. "Oh! I just saw your Dad drop off flowers and a gift bag in Dr. Brennan's room. He said that you had got her a gift, I just assumed…"_

_Quickly, Hodgins interceded. "You know what I think he did? I bet Booth added the flowers onto your gift, Parks." Hodgins tilted his head toward Parker. Parker eyed Dr. Hodgins and nodded in understanding._

_"Oh. Yeah, he probably did. He's always doing stuff like that for Dr. Bones."_

_Daisy smiled, still slightly confused, and now a little more suspicious._

_**Something's up.**_

* * *

_"Parker knows."_

_"Parker knows what?"_

_"He knows about __**us.**__" Booth paced in an invisible box back and forth in front of Brennan._

_"What do you mean Parker knows about us? Booth, you said that we were going to tell him together." She crossed her arms._

_"Yes, I did. That was plan. I didn't change the plan. I didn't tell him, he…He found out." Booth grabbed the nape of his neck, rubbing it briefly before sliding his right hand around the right side of his neck, jealous of how relaxed he had been just an hour ago. He sighed, arms now akimbo, looking down the hall. "He, uh – saw us." He cut his eyes toward his partner. _

_Brennan huffed a laugh. "He did? When?"_

_"When we were in the hallway between residences." He was speaking now only out of the corner of his mouth. Booth turned towards Brennan with raised eyebrows. "You know, on the way here. Earlier…." he sang while he bobbed his head back and forth to the left and right._

_Brennan always enjoyed Booth's colorful emphatic gestures, especially ones that ambiguously alluded to sexual topics._

_"Oh." She responded. She couldn't hold back her side grin. "Heh, heh." As quickly as she grinned was as immediate as her face straightened. She motioned to Booth that Chloe and Daisy were walking past. _

_Brennan offered the pair a tight smile. Booth turned quickly, and dismissively nodded at Daisy and Chloe. The partners watched as the butler and the bobbing ponytail disappeared down the hall._

_Once out of earshot, Booth continued. "Heh heh? No heh-heh, Bones! My son – my child - my little boy - saw me…feeling you up against a wall!" he hissed. _

_He was growing irritated by her casual acceptance of what had happened. He added more detail in an effort to shock her. "__He saw your…y'know. Your naked, uh….ness." While avoiding eye contact with her, his index finger wildly circled her chest._

_Of course, his scientist was not to be shocked. "What? My breasts? My **nipples**?" Brennan snickered, watching her mate pray to one of his saints. "Booth, if you can take them in your mouth over and over again then you can refer to them by name. Did he see me touching your pen-"_

_Booth stole a glance toward the dining room. "Shhhhh, Bones! I don't need everyone knowing about what we were doing!" _

_'Thoroughly' was an understatement for how much Brennan was enjoying watching her confident, sure-handed partner squirm._

_"With the exception of Parker, I must point out that everyone in that room has had sex before, Booth. Multiple times. There's no shame in what we did. Wait, are you ashamed of what we did?"_

_He finally looked her in the eye "No! No way! Except for Parker, being with you is the best thing that's ever happened to me!"_

_She beamed. "Booth." she replied, appreciative of his sincerity. "That was very sweet."_

_He smiled shyly back at her. Her tone softened "__They're just breasts…"_

_"Trust me, those are not just breasts Bones!" she arched her back. He allowed his bluster to be further interrupted by a lustful smirk. He stepped an impossible step closer to her, but yet they still weren't touching._

_ His voice also softened. "I just don't want my kid freaking out about sex or thinking that groping women in public places is okay because I did it. And I don't want him looking at you funny."_

_"Booth, you're being silly! Didn't you ever encounter your parents being amorous? It's natural that it occurs."_

_"Yeah, but..."_

_"I walked in on Max and my Mom several times. From my observations, my father was a very skillful lover. Both my mother and father seemed to enjoy sex tremendously. Mom was very vocal in her satisfaction__…."_

_"Stop!" Booth threw his hands up and slammed his eyes shut, as if the effort would erase what he had just heard. He did not need or want to visualize the little girl version of his favorite anthropologist observing Max being the "Mac"._

_Brennan grinned, knowing that she was tweaking her partner. 'He must be on saint #10 by now.' She thought._

_"Booth, observing your parent enjoying physical stimulation is not a bad thing. In fact, it may help Parker form positive images related to pleasuring a woman that will be of value to him in his own sexual exploration."_

_He took a deep breath. "Bones…."_

_"Plus, what he saw was not lecherous. Lustful, definitely, but not lecherous. Our actions were mutual and consensual. Parker knows that we're best friends Booth. It's not like you were fondling some random woman. You were groping me."_

_Booth chuckled at how persuasive her argument was. As always, she was able to settle him down as well as she could rile him up. He put his arms on his hips, smiling tenderly at her. "'Fondling and groping' are pervy words, Bones..."_

_She smiled back. "Fine. you were 'caressing' me. Is that better? Was he upset when the two of you spoke?"_

_"Ah, no. Heh! He actually asked if I was going to marry you." Booth scratched his nose._

_"What?" Brennan's spine stiffened, tightening her arms further her around herself._

_"Geez, calm down, Bones! He's a kid, remember? I know you don't believe in marriage and all that other 'love is chemicals' mumbo-jumbo jibber jabber. I told him that we love each other, but we were still figuring things out." His hands flailed about in an effort to distract Brennan from going down the 'relationship rabbit hole'._

_"Figuring things out?" She asked softly._

_"Yeah. He **loves** you Bones. And **I** love you. I want to make sure that whatever happens between us, that he understands that the way I treat you is how a man should treat a lady. Even if **we** don't work out, I still want you in Parker's life forever." His hands went to his right pocket, to anchor on the poker chip._

_"I'm not going to try to get you to marry me Bones, but I am gonna make it so you never wanna leave me, okay? We'll figure out how to do it together."_

_Brennan found herself moved by her partner's words. "OK. Thank you, Booth. For – wanting me to be in Parker's life."_

"_You're very welcome, Bones."_

_She uncrossed her hands and tugged at his belt buckle, pulling him toward her. "I do want to make this work Booth. Us. I'm committed to figuring things out."_

_He leaned in and nuzzled her nose "that's all I need, Baby." They kissed briefly before returning to the dining room, unaware of the audience down the hall._

* * *

_Daisy chatted cheerfully with Hodgins and Parker while some of the crew continued to prepare their plates. The line had died down, so she decided to wash up prior. "Um, excuse me Chloe? I'm all turned around. Where is the closest bathroom?" _

_"Let me show you, Miss. Mr. Bray just went to the bathroom across the hall, if you will please follow me." Chloe guided Daisy backed towards Brennan's bathroom. The pair exchanged pleasant nods at Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth on the way past them._

_Immediately upon entry, Daisy noted the scent of Brennan's shower gel permeating the room. She noted that Dr. Brennan – who was usually conservative when using items, had uncharacteristically leveraged four towels during her earlier shower. Daisy smiled thinking about her own shower with Sweets. _

_She noted Brennan's travel bag on the counter. She touched it fondly, recalling the exclusive opportunity that she had to really get to know her mentor in Maluku. _

_Unlike her counterparts, Daisy actually preferred her direct relationship with Dr. Brennan versus getting to know her peers. Well, that plus the fact that The Others seem to find her to be a bit too ambitious and competitive. Everyone except Vincent, who she enjoyed having as a study partner. She never minded that he would sometimes introduce her as his girlfriend when they went for drinks after studying. Vincent had been very sweet to her. And, as the only female intern on the team, she understood that Vincent was simply trying to distinguish himself from The Others in Brennan's eyes. having her attention was priceless._

_Regardless of the outcome of the Maluku dig, being able to spend seven months working in the field with Dr. Brennan had been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She knew things that nobody else knew about her_.

_She blew her nose before she washed her hands. Knowing what she knew, about the travel bag, Daisy giggled at the recollection of one off site trip – Brennan made them turnaround forty minutes into a 5 day trip because she had forgotten "Agent Lister". _

_Daisy tossed the tissue away. She saw the condom wrapper in the garbage and chuckled: **apparently Dr. Brennan has already christened her pretty white bed with Agent Lister**, she thought. She recalled the pleasant demeanor and the warm pink coloring that Brennan would have on her neck and chest after stealing away with her favorite sex toy for a session. _

_After washing her hands, she fingered the bottom zipper of the bag, knowing that's where Brennan kept "him". She expected the weight of the vibrator to be anchoring the bag, but – no Agent Lister. From the open slit, she saw the condoms, but no Agent Lister. _

_Condoms, but no Agent Lister._

_"Hmmm. Peculiar" She wondered aloud, knowing that Dr. Brennan never travelled without Agent Lister. Plus, she always kept the vibrator with the condoms._

_...And she had apparently used a condom already. Daisy mused, eyeing the garbage and thinking about Brennan's blush. _

_….the same flush of her face and neck that she got when she saw Agent Booth earlier._

_…no Agent Lister, but she had brought condoms_

_…neither he nor Dr. Brennan went on a walk of the city_

_….he lied about Parker buying her flowers_

_….no Agent Lister, but she had brought condoms_

_….he totally has a key to this apartment _

_….he would never forget his lighter, unless…unless he was doing something distracting enough to forget it. **That** was what he was looking for in Brennan's bedroom._

_….Dr. Brennan was daydreaming. Daydreaming!_

_….no Agent Lister, but she had brought – and __**used**__ condoms_

_….that wasn't a different cologne! Daisy connected the scent of Brennan's shower gel to the scent that she smelled earlier on Agent Booth._

_...Dr. Brennan had said '__I know that coitus **is** relieving distraction''...Is- not 'can be': is!  
_

_….no Agent Lister needed because she had Agent Booth!_

_Daisy's jaw dropped as she gossiped to the equally excited girl in the mirror._

_ "O. M. G. She totally slept with Agent Booth!"_


	28. Chapter 28: Girl Talk

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic, Threesquares, and Covalent Bond postings. _

_____09/14/2013 A/N: Sorry for being away. I've not been afraid, but rather selfish. I've definitely been in love with all of the wonderful writing that so many have shared this summer. Thank you for sharing your words._

_____ Mad props as always to Covalent Bond, who is such an incredible storyteller, and who consistently draws out my Inner Hodgins. While you won't see it in Collide, I hope to have my ultimate conspiracy theory story shared before weekend's end (and it will totally be her fault)...stay tuned!_

_____Enough with the selfishness. This chapter is a whale. I'm breaking it down into a three-parter... ______  
_

* * *

_Oh. My. God! __**She **__slept with Agent Booth! _

Every bit of composure that Daisy had maintained over the past 90 minutes to portray a casual, mature participant in the conversation had evaporated with her bosses' last statement – an admission of a physical relationship with Agent Booth!

_Is all of this really happening?_

Daisy was at DEFCON 1. The distance between the arch of her eyebrows and the bottom of her mouth had never been further apart as she looked at her boss in excited shock. "**_You_** slept with Agent Booth?" she blurted. Intensely, she sought out confirmation from Dr. Brennan.

Brennan - grinning triumphantly at the intern's query - but turned her eyes to Pritch, who had an equally amused and surprised smirk.

All eyes had turned to Cam. Yet _hers_ were glued shut in an obvious attempt to conjure up any scene other than this, or any means by which to erase the last few minutes. Finding no escape, she took a deep breath, shook her head and opened her eyes to find a stunned Daisy Wick, mouth agape.

"Yes, Daisy! Seeley and I were together" Cam sighed. Recovering quickly, she shushed the exasperating intern, her voice in a whispering hiss. "But keep your voice down! Parker and Liam will hear you!"

"Oh, I don't know about that, Dr. Saroyan." Offered Pritch. "At this hour, my Liam is in a delightful state of peaceful repose, and Parker seemed quite smitten with the young lady who is here to mind them. I'm certain that he's talking her ear off, completely clueless that we even exist!"

"Yes, Parker seemed very excited to demonstrate his Wii skills to Minal." Brennan added, appreciative that her intern's focus had been redirected away from her, even if only at Cam's expense.

Daisy squirmed as she darted looks from one woman to the next, blown away by the common bond among the women: Dr. Saroyan. Chief Inspector Pritchard. Dr. Brennan. Each of them had been romantically involved with Agent Booth!

Discovering that her mentor had finally "Seeleyed" the deal (a term coined by some anonymous member of the "Jeffersonian Underground") was major, but upon learning that she was in a _room full_ of his conquests had been mind-blowing.

Dr. Brennan? Chief Inspector Pritchard? _AND_ Dr. Saroyan?! Daisy continued to swoon, lightheaded from all of the new information - and the four glasses of wine - that she had consumed…and the elation that she definitely knew three things about Agent Booth that her Lancelot did not.

_Where to even start? _

"This is mega-huge! You...Have _**been**_ with Agent Booth?" she spoke slowly, allowing the concept to wash over her. "Has Angela slept with him, too?" Daisy's mouth was as fast as her racing mind, as she hypothesized the pattern and calculated the scenarios where she, herself, may have the opportunity to also engage the well-structured FBI agent in coitus.

"No! Don't be silly." Brennan responded sharply. She cut a territorial warning glare at Daisy that did not go unnoticed by Cam, who grinned broadly at Brennan's alpha female reaction. Recognizing that she had overstepped a boundary with her idol, Daisy's excitement dissipated – slightly – as she recoiled in her seat.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Brennan. It's just that…well, you've trained me to look for patterns! Agent Booth demonstrates classic alpha male tendencies, including traits of sexual prowess and dominance. And e_ach_ of you has disclosed that you've been with him, and … well, Angela is also very sexually confident… that if _she too_ had been with him, then perhaps I may be a candidate for his advances…."

Cam could not repress a mocking laugh at Daisy's hypothesis while Brennan stared in horror at her. Cate cocked an eyebrow towards Daisy. "And you say that she is one of your brightest students Dr. Brennan? I have to say I'm a bit concerned for the future of your discipline…"

In that moment, Daisy realized the value of inner dialogue. "Oh, no! I don't mean…" her face flushed. "Dr. Brennan! I'm sorry!" she begged. "I really don't think that he...that I..." Daisy took a deep breath. "Believe me, I'm just surprised to learn about Dr. Saroyan and Agent Booth, is all…."

Brennan blinked at Daisy, turning to Cam for some guidance on how to proceed with the discussion.

Feeling just tipsy enough to be generous to the piteous intern, Cam poured herself another generous serving of wine as she reluctantly explained to Daisy the history of her romantic history with Booth.

As Cam continued, Brennan's irritation lessened. She felt unusually relaxed in a room with her most exhausting delegate and a superior who was just one of the two sexual rivals present.

She grinned as Daisy peppered Cam with questions about her relationship with Booth, not because of the history between Cam and Booth, but that the redirection of Daisy's attention gave Brennan time to recall glimpses of her lovely afternoon with her partner. Uncharacteristically, she stroked the small dip of flesh covering her manubrium, fondly recalling the feel of Booth's sucking kiss against it.

"Yes, Daisy, we have thoroughly established this, no?" Cam groaned. Brennan checked back in, realizing that she had lost place of the conversation.

Daisy defended herself to Cam. "It's like I said. It's just that I've never really imagined Agent Booth with anyone other than Dr. Brennan…and to find out that you_ all_ have been with Agent Booth. I mean… wow!"

Brennan frowned at her protégé. "Miss Wick, what you just said doesn't make any sense. You, yourself have implied it, he is a sexually confident alpha male. Booth has quite a rich romantic history. You and Dr. Sweets have actually gone on double dates with Booth and Hannah, and Booth has dated several women during the course of time that you've known him. That you can't see Agent Booth with anyone else but me is ludicrous."

Cam huffed at Brennan's assertion. Pritch smiled.

"What?" questioned Brennan. Confused by the humor in her facts.

Cate offered. "I think that what your ingenue is alluding to, Dr. Brennan – is that regardless of the non-sexual status of your relationship for all these years….That Agent Booth's heart - in fact- has belonged to you."

She wasn't sure if it was Cate's British accent or just her dead-on analysis, but Cam – in the midst of a substantial gulp – paused mid-swallow, shaking her head in enthusiastic agreement. She raised her glass to the air and then towards Pritch, who like her, was also stationed on the sofa in the living room. The pair clinked wine glasses.

"Exactly!" Daisy added. She turned to Cam. "I mean, finding out that you and Agent Booth slept together is…really kinda hot…very hot in fact!" she then turned to Cate "…and I really don't know you at all, but you are obviously very attractive and physically appealing, and I'm sure that sex with you is amazing…."

Cate giggled at the awkward intern. "Daisy!" Cam warned.

But Daisy could not be stopped. "I just mean, Agent Booth _obviously_ has excellent taste in women…" she shifted toward Dr. Brennan chaise. "But it's just that _everyone_ knows that the two of you belong together, Dr. Brennan! I mean, I know you are together, as partners. But the two of you totally should have been together-together for a long time, you know? Naked, together. _A lot_!" she emphasized.

Cate snickered. Brennan's face knotted and Cam swirled her glass of wine as she chuckled at Daisy's comment. Daisy continued. "But sweetly together, too. Romantically, you know? Sometimes, Agent Booth looks at you like he's going to burst if he can't touch or kiss you. It's _so sweet_.…" she sang.

"That's ridicu-" Brennan started as she then realized that Cam and Cate were nodding in agreement with Daisy. "Really?" Brennan was genuinely surprised, especially upon realizing that she spent so much time devoting her attention to Booth, that perhaps she had stopped noticing what everyone else observed between them.

"Oh, Dr. Brennan…." Cam sighed. "I've known Seeley for almost twenty years…" she quickly held up a disciplinary finger and a scowl at Daisy, whom she knew would be calculating her own age in comparison to the number of years that Cam had known Booth "Shut up!" she warned, very amused to see the irritating intern retreat from her inevitably unnecessary contribution to the discussion. "Seeley is one of my oldest friends. I've _been_ with him. I've seen Seeley with Rebecca…_and_ Hannah, and every distraction in between. And there's just no comparison to how he feels about you, what you bring out in him. None of us stood a chance with Seeley. He's all yours, he's been all yours."

Brennan scoffed. "But we've just begun a romantic relationship."

"Ah, but you've loved each other for years." Pritch suggested.

Brennan's jaw tightened. Cam and Daisy turned to Brennan, riveted by the assertion of this relative stranger. It was very obvious to both Cam and Daisy that Cate Pritchard had a deeper connection to Brennan than their interactions from two cases years ago - perhaps she had served as a confessor for Brennan?

"Well, yes. But…" she mused. "Ancient Greeks defined many types of love. The state of my love for Booth is newly romantic…"

Cam choked on her wine. "Seriously?" Daisy snickered.

Brennan knotted her face. "Yes. I would offer that Booth and I – where we are today – our affection for each other can be described as storgic. This current romantic period of our relationship has evolved from friendship."

Cam shook her head in disagreement. "Dr. Brennan…storgic?"

Brennan had become used to educating others in areas with which she had had more study. "Let me explain…" Brennan offered.

Cam smiled curtly, "I know what storgic love is, Dr. Brennan."

Cate interjected. "Well, I don't. After losing Ian, I spent less and less time with the intellectual sort." Everyone chuckled while she continued. "And, after Liam came into my life, my ability to complete sentences, let alone retain complex thoughts - has been rendered completely fruitless."

Daisy – as usual incapable of metering her thoughts that were not germane to the topic of the conversation – observed "I think that it's very admirable that you elected to adopt your dead ex-lover's love child."

"Daisy!" Cam warned.

"Oh, it's all right, Dr. Saroyan….er, Cam! I've come to grips with the fact that my story does make for interesting tabloid fodder." Pritch acknowledged.

Earlier in the evening, Cate Pritchard had stopped by the Connaught to visit with Brennan and Agent Booth, and had introduced herself and her son Liam to the visiting Americans. Liam Joseph Pritchard was Cate's two year old adopted son, the offspring of Dr. Ian Wexler and one of his many young student conquests.

"When Ian was killed, I was struck by the time we had wasted pursuing other relationships given how deeply we felt for each other. I was devastated by his loss. When I met Liam's biological mother at a memorial for Ian and learned of her plight, I thought that it was a sign. I saw it as an opportunity to aid a young lady who was completely unprepared for motherhood, and a real and permanent way to continue to honor – and love – Ian."

A moment of silent regard passed among the four women as each considered Cate's decision to raise another woman's child. Cam shook her head. Clearly her situation with Michelle was the most analogous; Brennan assessed her love of Parker as a commensurate analog. Daisy allowed her thoughts to stray back into her earlier musings about having sex with Agent Booth, and how she would be the best surrogate mother to Dr. Brennan's child with Booth, should anything happen to Dr. B.

Cam was the first to speak. "Biological daughter or not," she nodded thoughtfully, "I couldn't imagine my life without Michelle."

Brennan's personal examination of this topic had been just that – very personal. Her experiences in the foster system left her with a legacy of doubt and mistrust that a child could be reared successfully by non-biological parents. The suffering that she encountered in her late teens had left her reluctant even to have a family of her own. Yet, over the years of her partnership with Booth and her friendship with Angela - and her reunion with her father and Russ - Brennan would be the first to admit to the evolution of her stance on family and children.

Temperance had learned the rewards of affection and having people with whom she could be vulnerable. She had developed anticipation and joy for keeping time with Parker and recognized her feelings of maternal protectiveness toward him. And, while she could easily envision caring for Parker should anything happen to Rebecca or Booth, she had yet to sincerely examine her fundamental desire – her previously admitted wish to have a child of her own – Booth's child.

Not yet ready to confront those feelings, and desirous to avoid discussing it at all in Daisy's presence, Brennan redirected "I have to admit, I was quite amused by Booth's reaction to meeting Liam."

All of the women giggled at the recall of the earlier scene – Booth's introduction to the adorable brown-eyed toddler.


	29. Chapter 29: Doppleganger

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic, Threesquares, and Covalent Bond postings._

_09/15/2013 A/N: Here's part two of three of the Whale chapter. While editing, I've been binge-watching Season 1 - again. What a surprise to recognize Aaron Paul in Superhero. Geez, the entire male supporting cast of Breaking Bad was plucked from Bones. Guess it feeds the layers of Six Degrees of Buffy, huh?_

_Speaking of Breaking Bad, I have noted that many of my recent chapters have a similar circuitous route found in the Vince Gilligan series. Having written the chapters prior to my recent Breaking Bad immersion, the similarity is merely coincidental. At some point, I'm going to try and write a straight path again. Just not now. Sorry for the aside! Please enjoy!_

BTW - in the US...Just one more day! Yay! (Arms flailing like Kermit's)

* * *

_"Whoa!" Booth exclaimed, being the first to see the man in the doorway._

_All eyes in the dining room turned first towards Booth, and then to his sight line. The gasps and clinks of utensils dropping around the table was exacerbated by deafening silence that the sight of the person standing next to Chloe._

_Chloe looked concerned at the group's reaction to the **expected** guest that she had escorted into the residence. She directed her face to Drs. Brennan and Saroyan, but neither was able to take their gaze off of the young man in the door._

_Slowly and quietly, Parker asked his father "Dad? Is that…Vincent?"_

_Booth swallowed, more than a little spooked by the sight of the intern, whose last breath he had witnessed just days ago. "Uh, um, Bub. That's….It's…"_

_"Victor!" Daisy exclaimed, jumping up to greet him. Victor and Daisy embraced like schoolgirls at graduation. "It's so wonderful to meet you in person finally!"_

_Recovering from her initial surprise, Brennan stood up, __acknowledging to Chloe that she could excuse herself. She __moved towards Victor. "Victor? You are Vincent's cousin, Victor?"_

_Victor released from Daisy's embrace. Not more than a year younger than Vincent, Victor Nigel Murray had learn to expect this exact reaction when introduced to friends of Vincent's (as was also the case reflexively), but given the circumstances, he was a little nervous about meeting Vincent's American mates. Upon Brennan's question, he smiled a shy grin._

**_Vincent's grin._**

_Brennan looked briefly at her partner, wondering if Victor's resemblance to Vincent was one of those signals from the universe that he and Micah were often mentioning. Booth watched his partner, recognizing the rare flash of fear in her eyes, present only when she had uncertainty. Uncharacteristically, Brennan advanced swiftly and embraced Victor in a bear hug._

_"Ooof!" Victor chuckled._

_"Whoa!" Sweets and Wendell breathed out simultaneously as Brennan hugged the stranger. Hodgins snickered. Having known Brennan longer than anyone, he was the most used to her awkward outbursts of affection. The hug brought him back to a heartfelt embrace that he had received from Brennan, more than six feet underground, years ago._

_"Yes! I am Vincent's cousin." He mumbled through the smothering. Finally, the forensic anthropologist let him go. "I take it that you are Dr. Brennan?"_

**_Vincent's voice. _**

_"Yes!" she exclaimed breathily, turning towards the amazed group of people around the table. Composing herself, she turned back to Victor. "Thank you for coming, Victor. I am truly sorry for your loss. Let me introduce you to everyone." Peering at her only female intern, standing on the opposite side of Victor. "I see you already know Miss Wick…"_

_"Oh yes! Daisy and I are Skype buddies!" Victor exclaimed. "Vincent introduced me to the Delightful Daisy a few years back."_

_Everyone was in awe. Victor's mannerisms were so similar to Vincent's. The only outward differences to note were his trendy attire and haircut._

_ And, something else…._

_Daisy slipped her arm around Victor's as Brennan turned to introduce the rest of Vincent's friends and colleagues. Before speaking, she eyed Victor with fascination. The scientist in her could not help but to examine the incredible physical similarities between Victor and Vincent. She mumbled, more to herself than to Victor "Your physiognomy is extremely reminiscent of your cousin's."_

_Cam - still seated, mouth parted in disbelief – found her voice again. "The resemblance is uncanny."_

_Victor blushed. "Yes, we got that a lot growing up. We used it to our advantage as lads. Me mum and Vincent's mum are siblings, and so are our Dads."_

_"Brothers marrying sisters, and not in the creepy way." Muttered Wendell sheepishly as he shook Victor's hand. Victor smiled politely, a tad taken aback as each introduced forensic anthropologist – Wendell and Clark - had joined Brennan in whispered discussion as they studied Victor's physical features._

_"That's enough" Cam warned her team, shooing them back to sit down, finding that playing the role of herder a distracting way to keep herself from being too emotional as she approached Victor. "I'm Camille Saroyan. I am very sorry for your loss. Vincent was such a sweet young man."_

_Victor grinned recognizing her name. "Oh! You're the Caramel Goddess!" Cam froze, recalling Vincent's many confessions during his twelve-step recovery. Victor was mortified. "Er, sorry! I promise, Dr. Saroyan, Vincent has...**had** spoken respectfully of you. It's just that you are as fetching as he described…"_

_"It's fine, Victor. It reminds me of Vincent" Cam smiled weakly, a bit embarrassed by the moniker._

_Turning back toward the table, Arastoo offered Cam a supportive smile "you are very beautiful, Dr. Saroyan." He said quietly before introducing himself to Victor. Surprised by the unexpected compliment from an unexpected source, Cam resisted the puckering of her cheek dimple._

_The introductions began to wrap up. "So was it you or Vincent who's only seen the sights a boy can see from Brooklyn Heights?" Fisher inquired as he introduced himself._

_Victor looked at the others for an explanation of the very tall gentleman's question. "I don't know what that means." What he found were soft smiles and smirks only. But then finally, insight was offered by the last person who greeted him – Lance Sweets._

_"Fisher's just referring to an old TV show in the states about identical cousins" Sweets held out his hand. "The show's theme song is actually more memorable than the show itself. That, and yet another American actor doing an bad Irish accent..." he mumbled. "Hi, I'm Lance Sweets. Everyone - well everyone but Daisy - calls me 'Sweets'. It's nice to meet you. I'm really sorry for your loss. Your cousin was a really good guy."_

_Victor's face brightened at his introduction to Sweets. "Oh, you're lovely!" he exclaimed, retaining his grip on Sweets' handshake. Staring at Sweets, he intimated to the room. "My cousin would talk ad nauseum about all of the beautiful women with whom he worked, but he never mentioned how handsome the blokes were that he knew. You're really lovely." He sighed to Sweets._

_Sweets blushed at Victor's gushing, much to Booth's annoyance. "What? **He's** lovely?" he turned to Arastoo, in disbelief. Arastoo shrugged his shoulders, chuckling at Booth's obvious jealousy. Booth was used to being the hot one._

_Daisy, felt vindicated by Victor's obvious attraction to her boyfriend. "I told you that Lance is very handsome…" she stated matter of factly to Victor. To the rest of the room, she bluntly offered "Victor's gay."_

_"You're like an American Andrew Ridgely" Victor whispered. Sweets shucked at the compliments. Clark, Fisher and Wendell could not hold back any longer, letting out a substantial laugh at the characterization of Sweets as the other guy from Wham!._

_Victor realized that he was being overly attentive and blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry! Here I am, coming over to welcome you to better side of the pond, and the first thing I do is to make a big flirt of myself."_

_"Not a problem, Man." Hodgins replied, his blue eyes twinkling with mirth. "The flirting reminds us of Vincent, it's very comforting." _

_Finally, Victor let go of Sweets' hand. Sweets – amused by the attention, offered his seat to Victor as well as gesturing to prepare a plate for him, which he declined. Victor smiled appreciatively at Sweets, completely smitten. _

_"Cheers! Well thank you!" Looking around the table, Victor offered "I can't say that I can pepper you with as many abstract facts as could my cousin, but I'm a wicked clever ethnomusicologist."_

_"What's an ethnomusicologist?" Parker asked his father._

_Before Booth could even begin a sentence, Daisy had blurted "it's the study of music from a cultural perspective. Musical anthropology, if you will."_

_Victor leaned toward Parker, "I am well-versed in the music of both eastern and western cultures. And on the weekends, I'm a deejay." He grinned proudly._

_Booth caught Brennan's eye, as both simultaneously recalled the role of Vincent's character in Brennan's erased story. Weird._

_Addressing his hostesses, Victor began "Drs. Brennan and Saroyan, and oh! Dr. Hodgins as well! I want to thank you all for your efforts to get everyone here to celebrate Vincent.! I feel like I know you all, already!" Turning to Booth, he continued "it is my understanding that you were responsible for capturing his killer?"_

_Booth nodded solemnly. Victor nodded in return "Thank you, Sir for your valor. On behalf of myself, and my family, we are so appreciative of your efforts." Parker looked admirably at his father. Brennan placed her arm around Booth's son, her own pride in her partner obvious._

_"Vincent was a good kid, a good man. He didn't deserve what happened to him." Booth stared intently at Victor. All other people in the room seemed to have vanished as Booth spoke to Victor. Victor's physical similarity to Vincent made his statement feel like an apology._

_Victor shook his head. "Thanks for that. But please, short though his time may have been, my cousin lived an incredible life, and he knew it." To emphasize his point, Victor smirked to various faces around the room. "**I** joined Vincent in Thailand on the last leg of his around the world excursion, I should know." A few chuckles were shared. Parker looked between Bones and his Dad for explanation. Neither were offering._

_Brennan did however added with a sigh "Nevertheless, losing him in such an unfortunate way is a tragedy. Vincent had so much still to give to the world."_

_Victor stared fondly at Brennan. "He will live on through all of us." Sighing at Brennan, he continued. "He **loved** you. I mean, he loved every woman that he came into contact with…" again the room filled with snickers. "But he spoke of you with such fondness, admiration; such regard. He respected you, really. He had learned so much from you – and you as well" Victor gestured to Drs. Saroyan and Hodgins. "He knew what a privilege it was to work with you all."_

_Nods of heads around the room were shared as each of the interns silently agreed with the words they may never have the chance to express to Drs. Saroyan, Hodgins, and Brennan. Modestly, each expert in their respective fields accepted the gracious words and non-words in the room._

_Lightening the mood, Victor added "and it didn't hurt that he fancied all of the ladies that he worked with." Looking at Hodgins, he continued "Me Uncle was a little disappointed to hear that Ms. Montenegro would not be able to make it here. Vincent always teased his Mum that his dad would leave her for Ms. Montenegro…."_

_Laughter filled the room as Hodgins beamed proudly._

_Victor had come to the Connaught to debrief everyone on the schedule of activities for Vincent's funeral, and to invite the blokes out for a family tradition._

_"The night before a funeral, the gents all gather to get pissed…er, sorry Mate!" he offered apologetically to Booth, remembering Parker's presence "…drunk. This ensures that we all look good, solemn and green at the services." Looking at Parker again, "I have to apologize again, Mate. Adult males only."_

_Booth ran his hand through Parker's hair "No worries, I'll stay here with my son."_

_Victor looked alarmed. "No, but you can't! If I don't show up with the chap who avenged my cousin, I'll be ripped to shreds!"_

_Brennan interceded. "It's fine, Booth. I'm happy to stay with Parker. We females can remain here, soberly and patiently waiting for your return. Perhaps will knit you something…."_

_Victor reddened, recognizing what Vincent called 'the Brennan Bite.' "Dr. Brennan, I do apologize, but it is a family tradition, you must understand."_

_Dr. Brennan understood the need for tradition, especially when it came to acts of mourning, however unusual. "I do, Victor. Besides, I am expecting a friend to visit this evening…."_

_"Uh, are you sure, Bones?" Booth scratched the back of his neck at the thought of Pritch and Bones visiting with each other – unchaperoned. There were certain conversations that he had yet to have with his partner._

_Brennan frowned at Booth. "Of course, I love spending time with Parker, Booth". Turning to Parker. "Do you mind, Parker?"_

_Parker shrugged his shoulders. He liked the idea of having all the ladies to himself, especially ladies who he guessed wouldn't be so restrictive on late-night snacks. "Nope! Not at all."_

_"Brilliant!" Victor exclaimed. "And I promise you, Dr. Brennan, it's better that you, Dr. Saroyan and Daisy meet the men of the Nigel-Murray clan tomorrow. Were you to come out with us this evening, you ladies would spend the most of the evening removing wandering hands from your bums."_

_Brennan chuckled at Victor's comment. Booth continued to worry about the impending gathering of three former lovers, while Victor eyed the bum of one Dr. Lance Sweets._

* * *

_After Victor departed with a plan to meet everyone at the hotel later that evening, everyone had split up back to their rooms. Booth had quickly prepared a sleepover bag for Parker, and returned back to the Apartment with a goal to confer with his oldest friend._

_Cam sat on the sofa, relaxing with legs up on the coffee table. She grinned smugly at her fidgeting pal, who was pacing back and forth in the living room while Brennan, Chloe and Parker set up the Wii in the parlor. Cam knew Seeley's tells as well as he knew hers. "What's on your mind, Seeley? Did you screw up already?"_

_Booth stopped pacing, hands on his hips as he pivoted toward Cam. "No. Camille…" her grin turned into a broad smile as she waited. In her mind, she counted down 'three, two, one….'_

_Moving her legs on an angle out of his way, Seeley slipped swiftly onto the coffee table to sit directly in front of Cam, poker chip in his hand. "Bones and me, we're good. Real good." He waggled his eyebrows at his friend, unable to restrain his grin. Cam rolled her eyes._

_"So what did you do?" she sighed, nudging him with the side of her leg against his._

_Booth searched for the fastest path to an explanation. Still sitting on the coffee table, Booth rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. He then leaned toward Cam. "Uh, you know your special guest for the evening? Inspector Pritchard? Pritch?"_

_Cam shook her head in affirmation and then smiled broadly. "You slept with her didn't you?"_

_"What? No!" Booth straightened up, annoyed that Camille knew him so well. _

_Patiently, Cam waited. _

_"Well, yeah, okay. We slept together." he admitted. "A coupla times. Okay, well maybe more than a coupla times." Cam smiled._

_Booth sighed, tossing the poker chip in the air. Catching it, he leaned back in. "The last time that Bones and I were here, Bones was all schoolgirl-nerdy-flirty with Wexler, and I- I…."_

_"Needed someone to do?" she smirked._

_Booth winced. Her words were accurate, but they still stung. _

_Seeley loved Cam because she was a loyal and honest friend, and she had seen him at his worst. The depth of their friendship had made them easy lovers. He knew that Cam was a good woman. He always felt guilty that he couldn't love her more, the way he thought she deserved to be loved. Her last comment reminded him of that point. She was strong and cynical, yet behind her coolness, he knew there was a twinge of hurt._

_"Uh, yeah." He chuckled nervously. "I was out of my element, on all fronts and, Pritch was good company while Bones went gallivanting off with Wexler on her speaking engagements." He leaned back, placing his palms face down on the coffee table. "Then, when Wexler was killed, I was…there for her." He grinned at a recollection, "she called me 'Sir Seeley' when we, uh, y'know…."_

_As close as they were, Cam really didn't want to go down that path with Booth. To correct his course, she asked "this was around the same time that I was sleeping with Angela's husband, right? Did I ever mention to you this thing that he did? It blows page 187 out of the water…."_

_Booth frowned at her. "I get your point, Camille." He leaned back in._

_Cam leaned toward him, knowing that the time for their private conversation was running out. Whispering, she stated "I get it Seeley, Brennan doesn't know about your affair with Inspector Pritchard."_

_Annoyed with her word choice, he mused "Is it really an affair, if we were both single at the time?"_

_Cam rolled her eyes. "Trust me, you've been taken since I moved to DC." His eyes softened at her assertion. "Look, just tell her. She's going to care about it as much she cares about me, or Hannah."_

_Booth studied his friend. "Yeah…yeah! This is Bones! She won't be jealous of a past relationship." He smiled weakly. "Thanks Cam!"_

_Cam studied him right back. Something in his word choice bothered her. Her face knotted "Seeley, is there something else on your mind? It sounds – "_

_"Daddy!" Parker called as he entered the room. "Come play Wii tennis with me?"_

_Booth popped up, relieved at his son's excuse for an escape. Cam winced at her friend's dodge. Something was bugging him. She just hoped that he'd deal with it sooner than later._

* * *

_Members of the team began reappearing back in the Apartment in preparation for the boys' night out. Everyone had gathered into the parlor for a Wii golf tournament. Sweets' claim of being the master gamer was quickly usurped by the previously unrevealed skills of Clark Edison._

_While everyone was preoccupied with the competition, Brennan took the opportunity to steal away with her partner for some light 'snogging'. Playfully, she pulled Booth into her bedroom, and pressed him up against the closed door._

_Grinning at his girl, he watched as she pressed her hands into his chest, down his waist, to his groin, and then back up toward his shoulders and into his hair. She watched her hands travel over her partner admiringly before peering up to meet and match his grin._

_"I don't have to go out tonight, Bones." He smirked, placing one hand on her hip, one to cup her face. "I'll hide out in here. The guys can take off without me... I'll stay in here - naked, in your bedroom - during your girls' night. You guys can gossip and drink your wine, play the Wii with Parker. And, every now and then, you come back here and let me kiss and touch on you, hmmm?"_

_Brennan laughed quietly at Booth's suggestion. _

_Booth leaned in to capture her soft lips. She sighed languidly as her whole body pressed into his. He pulled her tightly into him. Once__ their mouths parted, Brennan's bottom lip outlined Booth's jaw, down his neck, against his Adam's apple before she nuzzled her head under his chin._

_"You should go, Booth. Vincent's male relatives want to show their appreciation for your bravery by giving you alcohol poisoning."_

_Brennan smiled at the feel of Booth's laugh vibrating his entire body, as well as her own. He kissed into her hair. "God, Bones. Now that we've been together, I don't want to miss any opportunity to hold you this close." He slid his hand up her torso to find her chin, tilting her mouth up to his. "And closer." He waggled his eyebrows._

_"Even though it was only a few hours ago, Booth - I find that I too have been distracted by recollections of your able hands administering pleasure to me. And your talented do wop trio" she smirked. "I am impatient with the want of our next encounter." She began to caress her hand firmly against his emerging erection._

_He grunted "Oh Bones, Baby, please tell me we have time." His legs buckled at the pressure that she was applying. He tugged her top out her jeans, hands frantically seeking out the soft flesh of her breasts as she unzipped his jeans, and then hers. Urgently, their mouths met in a desperate kiss._

_"Mmmm, Booth…" she sighed, feeling the incredible pressure of his fingers against her sex. The friction of his hands moving into her heat was delicious. She needed him inside her. "I'm sorry Booth." She mumbled against his mouth._

_"What Baby? What's wrong?" his soft voice inquired._

_Abruptly she shoved down his pants, eyes alit watching him spring free. They both laughed as she danced her legs out of her jeans. "We are going to have to have unprotected sex again. I can't wait." She gasped as she angled her leg to line herself up with him. "Quickie, Booth. Now. Please" she urged._

_He groaned happily as he pushed into her._

* * *

_Certain that they hadn't been missed, Booth and Brennan emerged from her bedroom at the same time. Walking down the long hallway, both struggled to maintain some measure of distance from each other. However - Bones had a strand of hair that needed tending. There was an imaginary twist in Booth's belt loop that needed straightening. Booth's favorite spot at the small of her back had relocated a few dangerous inches lower._

_Stealing glances at each other, both were convinced: it was going to be impossible for them to keep their hands off each other._

_In classic Booth and Brennan fashion, it was evident that the pair had tuned out all other activities surrounding them, including chime announcing the arrival of two more guests._

_Evident…as evidenced by the two year old toddler that Booth's son was rocking in his arms coming towards Booth._

_"Dad!" Parker exclaimed. "This is Liam. Dontcha think he kinda looks like me?"_

_Booth stood frozen at the sight of Parker holding a miniature version of himself. Mouth agape, he turned to see Bones eyeing him curiously. Turning back towards his son, he noticed a familiar form standing behind him._

_His throat had become very dry as he tried to swallow. Weakly, he smiled, "Hello, Pritch! Is this your kid?"_


	30. Chapter 30: Hens and Cocks

_Created April 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic, Threesquares, and Covalent Bond postings._

A/N; 9/17/2013 - What a weird week that has begun. I live on First & M in the Navy Yard, about five blocks from where yesterday's shootings occurred. It is very surreal to me that folks who I share a Starbucks, CVS, Five Guys and food trucks with may not be in line with me today. My heart goes out to their families and friends.

On a lighter note: I must confess that the last conversation below is an homage to Razztaztic, who does it better than everyone!

* * *

_"You'll have to stop standing so close to me when we're working Agent Booth. It's rather distracting."_

_Booth eyed his lovely British counterpart with a toothy grin. "Distracting? Why, I hadn't realized - Inspector Pritchard - that I was making you uncomfortable!. It was not my intention. Especially after you've been so hospitable to me. Loaning me the Walther PPK, taking me target shooting…"_

_Cate smiled warmly at the American. "Well, it would be silly of me to give it to you and not let you use, wouldn't it?" He waggled his eyebrows at her as she continued, laughing. "I figured if I let you get in a few rounds in a controlled environment, then perhaps that would keep you out of trouble."_

_"I kinda think your plan backfired, Pritch. This feels like a whole lot of trouble to me, how about you?" He whispered huskily against her lips as he tapped his fingers against her bare hip._

_"Absolutely. Not. At. All" she panted as his hand slid up to thumb her breast. She shifted to pull him fully on top of her. He trailed kisses down her torso. "Consider this modern British hospitality…ummmmmm! Oh yes! That's quite brilliant!" she gasped as his hands and mouth continued his journey down her body._

_Relaxed and lost in her own thoughts as the able American tended to her basest of needs, she thought of Ian. "I'm sure your partner is being treated to some British hospitality as well…."_

_Booth halted his actions at the mention of Temperance. Sighing heavily, he crawled slightly up Cate to rest his head on her belly. Immediately, Cate recognized his conflict. After all, it was the same conflict that had caused her to mention her partner at one of the most inappropriate times._

_Sighing as well, she stroked gently through Booth's hair. Softly, she queried "So it appears perhaps that your dislike of Ian has more to do with his interest in your partner, and less about the fact that he's a complete pompous ass?"_

_She felt his body vibrate with a resigned chuckle. Booth kissed Cate just below her belly button, before he climbed further toward her sympathetic smile. Pulling her to turn so that they lay facing each other on their sides, he stroked her cheek as his deep brown eyes sought to confess to her light brown ones, before he chickened out. "Bones and me. I, uh….we're just partners."_

_Pritch scoffed at his statement as she targeted the lie in his eyes. "I don't believe that for one minute, Seeley. Does she?" She teased, but he did not respond, eyes darting away from her insightful ones. "Oh dear, you really fancy her, don't you?"_

_Booth smiled weakly. "Bones is one of a kind, you know? But she's my partner. That's all we can be. It's what she wants."_

_"For now…." She teased further. "…but perhaps one day you'll win her over?" Her willing hands explored his firm torso._

_Changing the subject, Booth pulled Cate's body tightly into his own. "For now…" he teased. " I have a sexy, exotic, gorgeous woman in my arms to whom I owe my appreciation."_

_"Appreciation?" she taunted._

_"Good British ale. A gun. Charming company…." He licked his lips hungrily before planting them on Pritch. "Can I offer you a ride, m'ilady?" he solicited as he pulled her on top of him._

_Cate giggled. "As long as it doesn't involve the streets of London…nothing would please me more, Sir Seeley…."_

* * *

_"Seeley, Dr. Brennan!" Cate smiled broadly. "It's so good to see you both again, it's been too long!" She strode past Parker and her son to greet a terrified-looking Booth and a very relaxed Brennan._

_Cate and Brennan held each other at arms distance. "Oh Dr. Brennan, you look fantastic! I know that you're here of course for a funeral, but you look amazing! I was secretly hoping you'd look tired and haggard as a result of your mourning and your long flights…." she sighed "so then perhaps you wouldn't notice all my gray hair and weary eyes caused by my failed efforts to survive the terrible twos!"_

_Brennan scrunched her nose briefly before recognizing Cate's self-deprecation. "Don't be silly Cate! You look beautiful, as do I." She smiled as she stroked her friend's hair. "I like the streak of gray, it's very alluring on you." Brennan continued to brush her hands through Pritch's wavy locks admiringly as she grinned at her dear friend._

_"And Seeley," Cate turned to Booth cheerily. "I'm so glad to hear that the two of you finally came to your senses!" Still holding Cate, Brennan peered hungrily at her partner._

_In any other circumstance, Booth would have allowed a prurient thought or two to pass his mind given the spectacle of the two strikingly beautiful women regarding each other with such authentic admiration and attraction, but at this moment, the only thought that he could muster was that he wanted to join his testicles, which he perceived had just retreated back up into him, and barricaded the metaphorical exit._

_"Came to their senses about what?" inquired Sweets. Quickly, Brennan caught Pritch's eye to infer that not all parties were privy to the change in her relationship status._

_"Uh," Brennan started poorly. "Maluku and Iraq. I had let Chief Inspector Pritchard know that Booth and I were taking a break from our partnership."_

_Cate nodded conspiratorially with a wink to Brennan, and walk towards Booth. "It was the silliest thing I'd ever heard! I was so glad to hear that the two of you were together now." She bear hugged Booth, whispering "Bravo, Sir Seeley. You did very well, hmm?" Booth mechanically hugged Cate back, panicked about what specifically she was referring – him and Bones, or the kid in Parker's arms?_

_….His son was holding a little boy who could easily be his son!_

_Was this his son?_

_Brennan turned to Parker, asking to hold Liam. Sweets – who had entered the room – felt his jaw drop at the sight of Dr. Brennan cooing at a child who very well may be her partner's kid…how did she not see it?_

_"Hello, Liam! Do you remember me? I'm Temperance! Hello! Yes! You do recognize me! Ha! Ha!" In her arms, Brennan swayed the riveted toddler in her arms as he examined Brennan's chunky necklace._

_The room seemed to darken, and all sound faded away to a very panicked Booth as he watched his partner hold the little boy…that she knew about! Why hadn't Bones mentioned that Pritch had a kid? A kid that looked just like him? A kid that could abso-fucking-lutely be his? Is it possible? Could I be Liam's…."_

_"Dad?"_

_Parker interrupted. His son had walked over to his father after turning Liam over to Dr. Bones, and unconsciously Booth had locked Parker in a human shield position in front of him. Ever the ten year old, Parker looked up backwards at his father to solicit his attention. "Dad! Dr. Bones just asked if you want to hold him?"_

_Unnerved, Booth looked down at his son, and then up at his partner, who was now standing beside him, ready to transfer Liam into Booth's ill-prepared arms. Holding him at arm's length distance, Booth stared at the toddler._

_***Click***_

_Parker, Booth, Brennan and Pritch all turned toward the camera shutter sound, which originated from Hodgins' phone. Apparently, Hodgins, Cam and Sweets, who had already met Pritch and Parker's mini-me earlier, had "wandered" back into the room, obviously curious to see fireworks. While Hodgins sheepishly shrugged his shoulders at his actions, Cam and Sweets seemed to be searching for a non-existent clock._

_Liam showed no interest in the audience as he was newly fascinated by the large nosed, large foreheaded jungle gym in front of him. Liam reached out excitedly for Booth. Regardless of the nightmare of the situation that he found himself in, Booth had always been a sucker for kids. His shoulders relaxed; his eyes softened at the adorable brown eyed, curly-topped bundle._

_"Awww," hummed Cate. "He likes you Seeley!"_

_"Oh. My. God." Cam whispered._

_"Hey Little Guy! Heh, heh! How are you? I'm Booth. Can you say Booth?"_

_"Booth is very good with children." Brennan offered to Cate. "He is an excellent father." She added, looking down at Parker, who shook his head in agreement._

_"Pffffffff!" grunted Liam, reaching for the dice that Booth had pulled from his pocket to distract the toddler._

_"Hey! Ha! Did you guys hear? He said 'Booth'!" Booth exclaimed, amazed. Booth stared at the child…could this be his boy?_

_Liam stared back. "Da, da!"_

* * *

The ladies roared in fit of laughter.

"I have been in hundreds of interrogations with Booth, I have never seen him so afraid to ask one simple question." Brennan giggled.

"Well, in his defense, Liam does look an awful lot like Parker." Pritch defended.

"That's true." Cam added "Poor Seeley, I could see in his eyes that he was calculating away the cost of flights back and forth to England to visit his son. 401K, out the window!"

"Could you imagine?" Daisy queried. "Having one child in the US, and one in Great Britain? With two different mothers?"

Brennan piped up. "I'm sure that it would be very difficult for Booth. He loves being a father, and would insist on being as involved as possible." Brennan bit her lip, feeling a bit uneasy in her decision to order the morning after pill from the chemist a few hours earlier.

"Well, ladies it is not a problem that he actually has." Reminded Cate. Seeley is free to raise his American son in the States in between his schedule of knighthood and rogering up Dr. Brennan!"

Brennan huffed, confused by the term. "Rogering up?"

"Yes, it means to shag, to snooker, to…"

"Bang?" offered Daisy.

"Yes, exactly!" smiled Cate.

"To Roger!" toasted Cam.

"To Roger!" the room clinked glasses.

* * *

Booth sat alone at the bar, surveying the room. The boy's night out was definitely winding down. Among the men had been some serious bonding over pints of ale and whiskey. Around the pub, members of the Jeffersonian team were interspersed with members of Vincent's clan, telling stories, listening to jokes, and collectively working toward the numbness that they had sought out to achieve.

Booth snickered upon the sight of Sweets' and Victor – his new best friend. Sweets had truly been flattered by Victor's attention. For the past few hours, Victor had listened – riveted – by all of Sweets' stories, theories and interests. In return Victor had plied Sweets with drink after drink.

In that moment, Booth felt a tinge of regret for the hard time that he and everyone gave to Lance Sweets. This was an orphaned kid, after all – is it too much to ask for a little attention and interest every now and then? Hadn't Vincent's loss been a reminder that they needed to take care of each other a little better?

He sighed, taking a hit from his whiskey, before the noticed the new message on his phone. Bones had pulled her strings to have the change add international to his calling plan expedited. She had said it was to ensure that everyone could stay connected throughout the course of the trip, but secretly, Booth had wished that it was for dirty talk. He opened his phone.

**_Booth? I have a question for you _**

Booth grinned that she hadn't yet asked the question, but rather prompted that she had a question. Feeling the hubris of his inebriation, he messaged back:

**_The answer is sixty-nine. _**

**_Sixty nine is what?_**

**_The answer to your question_**

**_I haven't asked my question yet. Well, I have asked you a question, but not the question that I intend to ask you_**

**_Trust me Bones. Sixty nine is the answer_**

_**Cam informs me that you're referring to the sexual position. That's very funny! I look forward to performing it with you. Cam and Cate also suggest that the amorous overture that the joke makes is an indicator that you're flirting with me.**_

Booth groaned in realization that he was obviously the topic of a conversation between three women that he had been with…and dammit probably Daisy.

**_Could you not read my text messages to them Bones? It's kinda embarrassing_**

**_Oh, OK I am sorry. _**

**_What's your question, Baby?_**

**_To clarify, am I not sharing this thread of messages, or text messages between us from this point forward?_**

**_Bones…._**

**_It's just that sometimes we use text messaging on cases, so I just want to plan for other means of communication_**

**_Sigh. You drive me crazy, Bones. I mean this thread_**

**_Oh, OK. Thank you for the clarification_**

**_Your question?_**

**_Nevermind_**

**_!?_**

**_It's just my question was with regard to discussion that I was having with Daisy, Cate and Cam. You've said that I should not share our conversation, so nevermind_**

**"God, this woman"**

**_Bones, let's do this – OK? When we're texting, from now on. If I don't want you to share the response with anyone else, I'll type B&B. If I don't type B&B, then you can share to your heart's content._**

**_B&B?_**

**_Booth & Brennan_**

**_Why not Brennan & Booth?_**

**_Fine. I'll make it B&B then. Your question?_**

**_You do realize that I have no confirmation that your B&B stands for Brennan and Booth_**

He sighed.

_Fine! Brennan and Booth. Happy?_

**_Yes, thank you!_**

**_...? Your question, Bones!_**

**_This is of course a hypothetical situation. If you had a concubinage representing all of the women that you've been with, would I be your wife or a concubine?_**

Booth choked on his whiskey.

**_Where is Parker?_**

**_He is playing video games in the other room. Do you want me to retrieve him?_**

**_Nooooo! I just want to make sure that my son is not privy to this conversation that you ladies seem to be having. I'm assuming that wine is being consumed?_**

**_Yes we have had several bottles already. I am not yet tipsy though. I do feel amorous however_**

**_B&B I miss the taste of you_**

**_I find that I like your code. I look forward to our next engagement_**

**_B&B Let me come to you tonight_**

**_That would not be wise. I am keeping Parker, remember? So that you men could observe the Nigel-Murray male bonding ritual?_**

**_B&B You're the only ritual that I want to bond with Bones_**

**_I see you've had some alcohol yourself_**

**_B&B Come to me tonight. After Parker goes to sleep. Please_**

**_Booth, the funeral's early tomorrow morning, I want to be well-rested_**

**_B&B You only need 4 hours. I'll make it worth your while?_**

**_Sixty nine?_**

**_B&B Is that a yes?_**

**_No, that's a question_**

**_B&B You're not coming are you? Please Bones..._**

**_Upon your return, if you are not too tired/inebriated, and the hour is fair, I'll consider coming to you._**

**_B&B You have this spot on your neck. Right below your ear. I can't wait to nibble on it_**

**_Booth_**

**_B&B I want to see those patches of pink on your neck and chest. I want to pull off your panties with my mouth..._**

**_Stop it Booth_**

**_Outline your nipple with my tongue. Take your whole breast into my mouth (or at least try!)_**

**_Cam says that you're a breast man. We are well-paired._**

**_Why are you talking about that with Cam? _**

**_You didn't code that line. I thought it was good game_**

**_B&B Fair game, Bones! I was going for a mood there_**

**_I know, I didn't tell Cam that. I was teasing_**

**_B&B I'm going to make you pay_**

**_I look forward to it_**

**_Regarding your concubine question – there wouldn't be one Bones. I only want you_**

**_While I appreciate the sentiment, the ladies are not pleased that you did not engage in the hypothetical._**

**_Cate says that I would be your primary consort_**

**_Not wife?_**

**_Cam says you'd marry one of the Blonde Ones. That's how she and Angela refer to Tessa, Rebecca, Hannah. But that your heart would belong to me._**

"Well she's right about the heart thing." Booth muttered, chuckling to his phone as he formed his response.

"What about the heart thing?" Sweets inquired, swaying in his stance. Sweets had approached the unaware sniper, causing him to jump.

"Jesus, Sweets! What the fuck?"

"Sorry, Man! I just wanted to come over and see my buddy, how he was doing….How you doing buddy?" His speech was slurred and his eyelids were evidently very heavy, but he was still relatively aware.

"Wow, you are blitzed!" Booth exclaimed, laughing at the kid. He sent off his next message. Seeing Booth texting, Sweets figured out what was going on. He gingerly made the effort to negotiate himself onto the chair.

"What about the heart thing? Oh, are you texting Chief Inspector Pritchard? Or sexting?" he waggled his eyebrows with a goofy grin.

Booth glared at him. "No, I'm not sexting Pritch, Sweets. Go away."

Feeling the strength and courage that only a drunk man should, Sweets grabbed the phone from Booth.

"Hey!" Booth yelled, unaware that the young psychologist could be so adept at "keep away" in his drunken state.

Sweets chuckled at his win while he inspected Booth's messages to the hot chick from Scotland Yard.

Or not.

Upon realization that the messages were not to Pritch, his eyes went wide, and he felt newly sober.

Booth slumped back down on his stool.

"Duuuuuuuuude….."

Booth crossed his arms.

A very large grin painted Sweets' face as he began to laugh heartily. Booth could not help but return - and outshine - the smile as Sweets returned the phone back to Booth. The both of them sat at the bar grinning at each other for at least a half a minute.

For the first time, Sweets didn't have to say a thing. Finally, Booth and Dr. Brennan had gotten things right on their own.

….but he couldn't help himself.

Placing a hand on Booth's shoulder, Drunk Sweets leaned in with some sage advice, "Whatever you do. _**DO NOT propose**_ to her!"


End file.
